


Saving Blitzo

by TalosLives



Series: Salvation [1]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series), Helluva Boss (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel) - Freeform, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on Instagram Events, Blood, Complete, Crying, Demons, F/M, Fallen Angel Lucifer Magne, Family Feels, Feels, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Heartbreaking, Heartwarming, Heaven, Hell, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Kidnapping, Loona does care about Blitzo, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mystery, Rescue, Revenge, Saving Blitzo, Torture, Written Pre-Episode 2, complete fic, tragic backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 71,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27427990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalosLives/pseuds/TalosLives
Summary: It was normal for Blitzo, the boss of I.M.P to disappear at times for a few days. Often it was because he was doing some crazy thing that usually involved trouble. So the employees of the company didn't pay much attention to it and only planned on yelling him when he returned. However, nine days of not seeing their boss was starting to make the group worry that something had happened to him.Those worries are founded when a call comes in with a simple sentence that changes everything: "I have your boss."(Based on the Blitzo is kidnapped Instagram event, but with a few changes to make it more serious. First Helluva Boss fanfic)
Relationships: Blitzo/Stolas (Helluva Boss), Millie/Moxxie (Helluva Boss)
Series: Salvation [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047520
Comments: 207
Kudos: 642





	1. The Call

_**Special Thanks to[ Yaddoriart](https://twitter.com/yaddoriart?lang=en) For The Title Cover** _

**************************************************************************************************************

Ah, another day, another poor sucker in the mortal world was dead because of him and his team’s impish hands. They say you should never get too attached to your work. Still, Blitzo couldn’t help but find satisfaction in slitting the throat of a rapist, burning a bully to death for causing a kid to commit suicide, or running over an old lady because she always scratched your car with her keys. Okay, that last one wasn’t really in the mortal world, and it was his car that got keyed, but the old hag deserved it.

“Well, I’d say that was one of our best jobs yet,” Blitzo said as he walked out of the portal with his favorite imp couple behind him. “Wouldn’t you say so too, team?”

“Are you kidding me, Sir?” Moxxie growled as he removed a tree branch from behind his left horn. The smaller imp was covered in mud, grass, bruises, and bite marks all over his body. “Not only did you trick me into being bait for those guard dogs, but you also left me behind to get chased, mauled, and even pissed on by those bullmastiffs!”

“Yes, but thanks to you, we managed to get our target,” Blitzo cheerfully proclaimed as he raised his hand to Millie. “Nice work using those scissors on his balls, Mills. Even gave me the goosebumps.”

“Aw, thanks, Boss!” Millie cheered as she high fived Blitzo.

“Whose side are you on?!” Moxxie shouted with his eye-twitching.

“Aw, sugar, you know I love you more, but you did give us a chance to get the target,” Millie teased. She was about to kiss him when she smelled the dog urine and backed away.

“Exactly! Team effort all around!” Blitzo proclaimed before he took out his phone and started checking his latest updates on Voxagram. “Now, why don’t you guys take lunch. Moxxie smells bad and needs a shower.”

“For once, I agree with you,” Moxxie grumbled as he sniffed himself and nearly barfed. “I swear, I smell worse than Loona on her work drunk days.”

“I heard that you limb-dick bitch,” Loona replied from her secretary’s table nearby. “And for the record? You smell better when covered in piss. Hides the smell of your insecurity.”

“Fuck you!” Moxxie shouted, giving her the finger before stomping his way towards the bathroom with his wife behind him.

Blitzo walked over to his adopted daughter and smiled. “Well, I’m going to go for a walk and to get a shake. Want one, Loony?”

“Double bacon-flavored,” was all Loona said without looking up from her phone.

“On the double!” Blitzo replied as he hummed to himself. He opened the exit door and sighed. “Ah, such a wonderful day!”

***

Nothing interesting was happening in Hell as always. A few lame movies that were just rip-offs of ones from the human world. Some boring celebrity gossip. The betting pools of how many humans were dead from COVID-19 today. All Loona could do was chat online and watch videos on VoxTube, but even that was getting boring. Her stomach growled, which was soon followed by one from her muzzle. Blitzo had been gone for three hours and hadn’t returned with her stupid shake.

She texted him to hurry the fuck up, but he never replied. She even checked his Voxagram account to see if he was doing something stupid again, but the last input he made was about some asshole photobombing him while he was getting the shakes. Loona just gave up and decided to just get something from the kitchen. Maybe Moxxie’s lunch if he hadn’t eaten it yet.

Opening the fridge, Loona grumbled about the lack of food again and made a mental note to remind Blitzo to get more groceries. She decided to take the leftover Chinese food and started heating it up in the microwave when Millie walked in. “Hey, Loona.”

“Hmph,” she replied while checking her phone.

“You’ve seen the boss anywhere? I just got the paperwork that the payment came through,” Millie said, showing a stack of papers in her hands.

“No, and I don’t care,” Loona answered.

“Fine, I guess I’ll just leave it at his desk,” Millie shrugged before leaving.

Thankfully, the little imp didn’t bother her again, but the other one did later that day. Loona had just finished taking her second-afternoon nap when Moxxie stomped over. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “What the fuck do you want?”

“Where in the hells is Blitzo?” Moxxie demanded, putting his hands on her desk. “Not only hasn’t he answered my calls, but I keep getting those spam emails about getting a penis enlargement! I thought we fixed this spam email issue last week!”

Loona smirked. The truth was she was sending those to him under a false email she made with help from a friend of hers. “I’m sure it's not that big of a deal.”

“Of course it's a big deal! I do not need constant requests asking me if I want a bigger dick!” Moxxie screamed.

“No, I mean that thing you called a dick? I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal,” Loona chuckled. “Maybe you can give the ad a try and see if it will work out for you? That way, it's a useful email for your _junk_ instead of just _junk._ ”

Moxxie screamed in frustration before stomping back to his room, all while muttering how he was plotting to one day turn Loona into a fur coat for his wife. Loona snickered before turning back to her show on the computer. It was way too easy to get Moxxie riled up.

Still, Blitzo had been gone for a while. Sure, he sometimes disappeared for a few hours, usually doing some stupid stunt or whatnot, but not near closing hours. “Unless...” Loona hummed to herself before she pulled out her phone and started texting.

_Loona: Yo, Via? Is Blitzo at your place? Fucking your dad?_

_Octavia: No, he’s not due to be in Dad’s bed until two weeks. Why?_

_Loona: No reason. He’s just been missing for a while._

_Octavia: Is it serious?_

_Loona: Nah, he’s probably doing something stupid. Chances are I’ll see him at home._

***

He wasn’t at home. Loona was surprised by this but ultimately decided to just forget about it. She turned on the TV, read a book, got drunk, played with herself, and went to bed after making some dinner. Loona was sure her father would be there the next day, making waffles.

Only he wasn’t—no Blitzo. No waffles. No stupid wake up kiss he’d give her before punching his lights out. She had to make breakfast on her own. Loona swore she would rip Blitzo a new one when he finally showed his red ass.

She expected to see him at work, but he wasn’t there. Not even at the morning meeting, which he never missed. They just sat there until Moxxie decided to say screw it. He took him and Millie home soon after while claiming they were using one of their vacation days. That left Loona on her own before she decided to just ditch work too and head to the mall. Loona didn’t want to admit she was a bit worried. Not yet. Blitzo could look after himself, and there wasn’t any need to worry.

Right?

***

One week.

One week since Moxxie had last seen his boss.

Moxxie didn’t know if he should be thankful for the silence or very worried about how long it had been going on. Not that he would ever admit the latter. Blitzo was an annoying, narcissistic, greedy, selfish asshole who always seemed to do everything to make Moxxie hate life itself.

However, that annoying, narcissistic, greedy, selfish asshole was the one who gave him this job, helped support him and Millie, gave them a month off after their wedding, and saw them as... _family_. Honestly, for all his faults, Blitzo was way better at being a family man than Moxxie’s own father. Still, for a guy who saw everyone at work as a family, he was worrying them half to death.

Millie had been the first to get worried when their boss wasn’t there for a job in the human world to kill some politicians. Their boss never missed an assignment. Never. She started asking other imps around if they had seen Blitzo and was now putting up “Lost” papers all over the streets. A little over the top in Moxxie's eyes, but he just couldn’t say no to his wife.

Loona, as much as she hid it, was also getting very worried. Moxxie would outright say he didn’t like the hellhound at all. She was even worse than her adopted father in some ways. But something inside Moxxie felt pity for her when he saw her always staring at the door while texting her father every ten minutes. It was yesterday that, and Moxxie would never admit he heard this, he listened to the hellhound whimpering when she looked into his office one morning to see if Blitzo was there.

Now Blitzo was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a bad father. Moxxie still didn’t know the full story behind Loona’s adoption, and Blitzo made it clear that it was Loona’s story to tell. Regardless, nobody could deny that the former circus imp loved the hellhound and took every moment to show her childhood, much to her embarrassment. The first time Moxxie saw those pictures of Loona as a child, he called bullshit on them. There was no way that cute, smiling, and happy puppy smothering cake over her laughing father on her seventh birthday was the bitch who always stole his lunch. It was only Loona’s demand that Blitzo never shows those again that he knew they were real.

Moxxie sighed as he looked out the window and bit his lip. Funny. There were times he just wanted nothing but silence with his boss staying quiet for a whole day. But having had to deal with _nothing but silence_ for a week made Moxxie wish he was back.

Not that he would ever admit it.

***

Loona vowed that when Blitzo got home, she was going to kill him. Kill him, resurrect him, and then kill him again. Nine days and he was still missing. She finally decided to end her worries about her image and messaged her friends if they had seen him. All of them said no, and kept asking if everything was alright, to which she lied. All she said was that a client needed to talk to him, but she could tell some of them, like Octavia, were getting really suspicious.

Having gotten the mail, Loona laid it on her desk before leaning against her chair. What the hell was Blitzo doing? Or maybe something had happened to him? No, he would have contacted them if something had gone wrong.

And he wouldn’t leave her.

Not after he promised...

The ringing of the phone alerted her from her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she picked up the phone. “I.M.P. What do you want?”

_“I have your boss.”_

Loona’s eyes went wide open as her instincts began to scream something was wrong. “W-what?”

_“I have your boss. I was hoping I could get what I wanted from his imp mouth, but he’s proven to be quite tougher than I thought. Not many of his kind can go through brutal torture for over nine days.”_

“What the fuck?!” Loona shouted as she stood up. Growling, her fur started to go wild as she felt a deep desire to find whoever was saying this and tear out his throat. “What kind of prank is this?!”

“Loona?” Moxxie asked, coming out of his office with Millie as the two looked confused. "What's going on?"

_“This is no prank. I take it you’re Loona? Blitzo’s adopted hellhound daughter? I’ll make this clear. I’ve got your father, and, in return for his safety, I want something that you have.”_

Screw throat-ripping. Loona was going to tear out his spine and smash his brain. “H-How do I know that you’re telling the truth?!”

_“You should have received a brown envelope right now in your mail. Open it. Its contents will prove that I’m not lying.”_

Loona slowly eyed the pile of mail on her desk. There was indeed a brown paper envelope among the letters, and she gulped. Ignoring questions from the married couple, Loona grabbed it with her shaking paws and opened it. She pulled out a set of photos and...

The phone fell from her paw as she stared at them with wide eyes before dropping them too in shock.

***

Moxxie was about to yell about what was going on before something happened that he never thought he’d see: tears. Actually goddamn tears. Loona _never_ cried. Moxxie didn’t know it was possible, but sure enough, the hellhound was shedding tears and looking like she had seen an Archangel during Extermination Day.

Moxxie quickly lost his anger and instead focused on the photos that Loona had dropped. Millie was by their co-worker’s side at once, trying to calm her down, despite being just as shocked as he was. He picked up the photos and stared at them only to suddenly feel bile nearly come up his throat.

Moxxie had seen terrible things in Hell. He had done terrible things to humans and demons alike. Sometimes he regretted the things he saw or did. But this...this made him sick because all of this was happening to his boss.

Every photo had images of Blitzo in worse states than Moxxie ever thought possible. His horns slashed and nearly broken in two. His skin filled with needles, knives, syringes, and whip marks that it was a miracle that he was still breathing. Blitzo's crying, black-eyed face with broken teeth and bleeding nose begging for mercy. His hands with nails in them. Some blurred out figure could be seen peeling off skin from the imps back with a sharp glowing white knife. Another showed him being chained to a wall with a car battery charger shocking him as his mouth spewed blood. They even sliced off his tail while he huddled in a fetal position in some dark prison without his clothes on.

The answer to why his boss had been gone for nine days was finally answered. Someone kidnapped him. Someone kidnapped Blitzo.

_“I’ll fucking kill you!”_ Loona shouted with tears in her eyes as she raged into the phone. _“I will find you, and I’ll murder you all! I’ll rip your tongues out, eat your hearts, and skull fuck you to the deepest pits of the pentagram!”_

Moxxie had to take control before Loona did something stupid. If this was the kidnapper, then angering him would not help them or Blitzo. He quickly grabbed the phone and took it away from her. Loona looked ready to rip him apart, but Moxxie didn’t care.

“Who is this!” Moxxie demanded.

_“I take it you’re Moxxie? Must be. You’re the only other guy who works at the company. Even if you sound like a child.”_

Moxxie ignored the remark. He’s heard worse anyway. “Yes, I am. Look, just tells us your demands!”

_“My demands are simple. I want the book—the one you use to go to the human world. Most folks don’t know about it, but I do. And I want it.”_

How the _**fuck**_ did he know about the book? There were only six demons in all of Hell who knew they used the book to get to the human world. Him, Blitzo, Millie, Loona, Prince Stolas, and Princess Octavia. Everyone else had theories as to how they did it, but nobody else knew the truth. And even if they did know about the book’s existence, which was a shortlist of high powered demons, none of them would ever imagine it being in the hands of some lowly imps. Prince Stolas would be ultimately dethroned and ruined if word got out he was giving it away, save for the full moon of each month, in exchange for fucking Blitzo.

“I...I don’t know what you’re talking about...” Moxxie lied, trying to stall for time.

_“Don’t play dumb with me. I know you have it. Prince Stolas always did have a thing for red dicks. You have the **Grimoire of Worlds** , and I want it in exchange for Blitzo’s life. Fail to do this and...well...they do say angel steel is not as painful as it looks.”_

“Let me talk to him,” Moxxie demanded, getting the girls' attention. He needed to know if the boss was alive or not. “If you really have him and he’s alive...we need to know.”

_“...Turn on your speaker.”_

Moxxie did so without a moment’s notice as the three waited with halted breath. Every second seemed to be like a minute for them. Finally, the sound of heavy breathing came out, which sounded like it was painful to do for the new speaker.

_“H-Hello?”_ Blitzo's voice spoke on the other line. Only without its usually joyful tone and instead replaced with one of fear and agony.

“Dad!” Loona shouted, gripping the table with fear in her eyes. “Are you okay?!”

_“L-Loony...s-sorry about not...getting that s-shake...daddy's...in a jam...”_

“Idiot,” Loona whispered, wiping her eyes. “Fuck the shake! Are you okay?!”

_“...no...n-not really...” there were a few coughs that followed. “...it's almost as bad as that time at Abaddons’ Corner...remember?”_

“Abaddon’s?” Loona asked, tilting her head.

“Blitzo,” Moxxie said, taking over. “Sir, I promise we’ll get you home!”

_“...don’t give them the book...”_

The others' eyes widened as they looked at each other in shock. “But, sir! Your life is more important than-”

_“No! Fuck my life! They cannot get the book! No matter fucking what! Moxxie, you give it to them, and I swear I will-Gah! Get off me!”_

“Sir!” Moxxie and Millie shouted.

“Dad!” Loona cried out.

_“Fuck you, you son of a-GAH! Loona, I love you! I’m sorry I didn’t-ugh-keep my promise! Moxxie and Millie, the business is yours! Look after my-d-damnit-daughter! Tell-Fuck, gah! Tells Stolas I-shit fuck! I did kinda liked him and-”_

BANG!

The gunshot made Moxxie nearly have a heart attack as Loona fell into her chair with her arms wrapped around her chest. Millie had gripped on his arm so hard that her nails were drawing blood, but he didn’t care. All of them just waited until a voice picked up.

_“He’s still alive. But if you don’t do what you are told, he won’t be for much longer. In three days, you will receive instructions. Follow them to the letter or else.”_

And then the phone hung up.


	2. The Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Blitzo's life in danger, I.M.P tries to figure out the best way to rescue their boss, but they are going to need help. So they turn to a certain Owl Prince on their side.

Millie had been in bad scenarios before. After all, Hell was a dangerous place. Some of the jobs she took in killing demons or humans also had terrible moments where she almost didn’t come out alive. However, none of those compared to this moment knowing that her boss was being subjected to who knows what. Millie cared about Blitzo a lot and not just because she got to let out her psychotic urges to kill people under him. It was also because, deep down, he was a caring boss even if it didn't seem like it most of the time. Sure, Blitzo was egotistical and made terrible choices sometimes, but he always went out of his way to make sure that the company stuck together. Moxxie hated how Blitzo interfered with their privacy but, deep down, Millie knew their boss was just a lonely guy. It didn’t take a genius to know that his need for attention and affection was a cry for genuine love. 

Maybe it had to do with what happened between him and his father, but Millie knew that deep down, Blitzo was just someone looking for a family. Millie was more than willing to provide that, but now that family was threatened, and she didn’t know what to do. Well, besides kill the assholes who had taken their boss, that is. The problem was she didn’t know where they were or who they were.

Moxxie put himself straight into controlling the situation, and Millie couldn’t be more proud of her husband. He was always bossed around or lacking self-confidence, but Mox always came through when push came to shove. After the call ended, he quickly activated the security system that Blitzo ordered a few months ago (one of the few times his expensive spending had proven to be useful). He then called Millie and Loona into the meeting room to plan on how to save Blitzo.

Currently, Millie was doing her best to stay calm, but she knew her expression was showing just as much concern as the rest of them. The only one who looked worse was Loona, doing her best not to cry again while looking ready to rip somebody apart in seconds. Millie couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. It was clear that her father’s suffering was eating her up, and this had to be the most vulnerable the hellhound had ever looked. 

“Alright,” Moxxie said, his tone one of pure seriousness. “We all know that we’re facing a crisis. Blitzo has been kidnapped, and his life is in danger.” Loona winced upon hearing that. “We don’t know who they are, but we know that they are serious, and I have no doubt they’ll kill him if we don’t comply with giving them the book.”

“So let’s just give them the stupid book!” Loona growled. “Or better yet, let’s just find these assholes and kill them!”

“It’s not that simple,” Moxxie said, glaring at her.

“What the fuck?! Are you saying my Dad’s life is nothing compared to that stupid book!” Loona growled, showing her teeth.

To his credit, Moxxie stood there, all calm and professional. “What I mean to say, Loona, is that, even if we give them the book, there is no guarantee that they’ll give us Blitzo without killing him or us. I don’t trust this guy to be honest with us, and not just because we’re in Hell where trust is as rare as water in a desert,” Moxxie explained as Loona calmed down. “Taking him down might be too much as well. He knows about the book and what it does. Meaning, he’s a higher level demon than us. He probably also has additional help whose numbers we don’t know. While we are good, we’re not on the level of  _ Infernals, Goetias,  _ or  _ Fallen.  _ And I doubt Blitzo would want us to die in a suicidal charge.”

Loona grumbled and crossed her arms, but she didn’t argue against Moxxie’s logic. “Fine...”

“Plus, there is another factor we need to worry about,” Moxxie grumbled as Millie saw fear in his eyes. “The kidnapper told me he has...Angel Blades.”

That made the girls' eyes widen with the room getting sixty degrees colder. Angel Weapons were the only thing that permanently killed demons. Anything else either made you dead in a void-like state for a time based on the damage you suffered or banished you to a lower part of the hells for centuries. Regardless, you always came back even if a part of you would forever be missing something inside. If something from Heaven killed you? You were toast for good. There was no afterlife for demons if they died for real. Some believed that there was nothing. Others say your soul becomes part of Hell itself. Only Lucifer himself seemed to know the truth, and he refused to say anything about it. Regardless, Angels and their weapons were the most feared thing a demon would have to face in their lifetime. For all the power Hell had, it was nothing compared to the power of God.

"How the fuck did this guy get an Angel Blade?!" Loona asked, eyes wide. "They always self destruct after the Extermination in forty-eight hours! And the last one was seven months ago!"

"It's not...fully impossible for him to have one. Not completely," Moxxie answered with a grim look. "The _Fallen Families_ still have their Angel Blades leftover from The War In Heaven, and they are the only ones who know how to keep the angelic power going. Not that it will do much against the Angels since they're immune to their own weapons, but it's how they keep us lower demons in check. They were Angels once too before the War. But I doubt the kidnapper was able to steal from Lucifer's inner circle. Either he's found a way to preserve the power of an Angel Blade after the Extermination Date or-"

“Or he is a  _ Fallen  _ type demon. Shit,” Millie muttered while shaking her head. Going up against  _ Fallen _ , the highest level of demons in the hierarchy, was all but suicide. “So, what do we do?”

“Giving the book might be our last resort, but even then, I’m worried about what the boss said about giving it to them,” Moxxie replied, rubbing his chin. “The Blitzo I know would easily sacrifice the book if it meant he could live. While it’s the only reason this company exists and, by a miracle, continues to thrive, Blitzo would never sacrifice his life for it. But he practically said he’s willing to die before giving it up to his kidnapper? One that has tortured him for nine days? Does that  _ sound _ like him?"

Now that Mox mentioned it, the whole thing did sound strange. It could be that he was worried about Stolas reacting, but she heard Blitzo’s panicking talk. It sounded like, no matter what, having the book being given to the kidnapper was worse than anything. 

“So what you’re saying that we’re screwed either way,” Loona pointed out.

“No, not yet,” Moxxie answered as he got up from his chair. Narrowing his eyes, he walked over and shut the blinds on the windows. “As of this moment, the company is going to go on lockdown. I want you two to arm yourselves, keep the security system active, and stay here until I get back from Prince Stolas’ palace.”

“You’re going to see Prince Stolas?” Millie asked.

“Yes,” Moxxie answered as he started arming himself with his pistols and knives. “This whole thing might be related to him since it's all about the book. Plus, he and Blitzo are...seeing together, I guess?” More like fucking each other, but it was clear the owl demon had strong feelings for Blitzo. “Either way, having a Prince of Hell on our side would be a strong advantage. He might be able to help us figure out where Blitzo is and how to help him.”

“What should we do in the meantime?” Millie asked, getting up. 

“For now, stay inside and do not leave the office until you hear back from me. Answer the door to nobody. If you find yourself attacked or something, run out with the book, take whatever money possible, and find someplace to hide outside Imp City. If you don’t hear anything from me in three hours, do the same thing. Take a portal to the living world if you have to.”

“What! But we can’t leave you, Moxxie!” Millie shouted as she rushed to her husband. She took his hands and held them against her chest. “I...I can’t do this without you.”

Moxxie smiled softly before kissing her on the lips. “Millie, I know, but we both have a responsibility to watch over Loona. You heard the boss. We have to look after her. Besides, it’s better this way. I’m the man in this relationship, after all.”

“Now you sound like one of those old windbags from the 1800s,” Millie pouted. Moxxie kissed her on the forehead and made his way towards the door. “Just...text me every hour or so, okay?”

He nodded before shutting the door. Millie sighed and hoped Prince Stolas would be able to get them out of this. 

“You don’t have to watch over me...” Loona replied, looking down at the floor. Moxxie couldn’t get a good look at her expression due to her hair, but it was clear the hellhound felt uncomfortable. “I know what my Da-Blitzo said, but...”

Smiling, Millie walked over and put her hand on the hellhounds shoulder. “Loona, we’re coworkers. We’re happy to help. Besides, you know how the boss is always going on about this company being a family and all.” 

Loona raised an eyebrow. “Even if I keep stealing Moxxie’s lunch?”

Millie giggled. “Well, half of those lunches aren’t healthy for him. So you’re kinda keeping him thin for me.”

Loona gave a small smile and nodded. “Thanks, Millie. Really.”

“No worries,” Millie got up and put her hands on her hips. “Now what do you say we get some weapons, some booze, and wait for my husband.”

“I get the Spas-12,” Loona said, getting up with a grin on her face.

***

Prince Stolas, one of the Goetia Princes and expert of all things Astronomy and Magic, was bored out of his mind. Typically, a Prince of Hell was busy with something, be it making sure his associates in the living world were doing well or making sure none of the other demonic powerhouses were doing something to fuck with his territory. But no, it was just another dull day.

“Ugh, Hell is hell when nothing is going on,” the owl prince moaned as he sprawled himself over one of his many expensive couches. He lived in one of the fanciest mansions in the circles with access to numerous pools, stables, libraries, billiard rooms, and even a gladiatorial arena that Baal gifted to him on his 3014th Birthday. Yet, none of that entertained him. 

His wife was visiting his mother-in-law for the week, and he had no intention of seeing that bitch. His daughter was out with her friends to the movies, and she wouldn’t be back until this evening. That left him with nobody but his servants and guards. And they were all so dull.

“Hmm, maybe I can get Blitzy to come over and play,” Stolas said to himself with a grin. “He always knows how to  _ spice  _ things up for me. In more than one way, that is.” 

Oh, Blitzo. Now there was an imp who had stolen Stolas’ heart. And his pants. 

Most of Hell's elite didn’t care about the lesser class beings who were barely worth anything in their eyes, but Stolas was different. He found them to be quite an interesting bunch who had such freedom that he was denied. This is why he was more charitable to them than other nobles, which his wife often disagreed with, but he controlled the purse strings in this relationship. He could still remember the day he and Blitzo met. He had decided to host one of his many balls, but this time he decided to allow it to be open for the lesser-powered races. Sadly, it seemed none were going to come out of fear until one imp, dressed like a clown, arrived seeking sponsors for his upcoming company: I.M.P.

The red imp, who introduced himself as Blitzo, had been quite a troublemaker. Causing pranks, giving sarcastic insults left and right, and even swung on the chandelier when he was being chased by Prince Orobas for stepping on his tail on purpose. Stolas would later learn that Prince Orobas was talking about advocating it legal to hunt Hellhounds for the upper class that night. Stolas hadn’t just been interested in Blitzo that night. He  _ wanted  _ him in his bed until morning. Such passion. Such energy. Everyone expected Stolas to punish Blitzo when he asked his guards to take him to his room.

Oh, he punished him, alright. And he got punished in return. The prince couldn’t sit on his ass for a week!

That night was so beautiful and primal that Stolas still hadn’t taken anyone else under his bed save for his wife. Oh, he did find out that Blitzo had taken his  _ Grimoire of Worlds  _ to use as part of his business, but Stolas was more amused than anything. Plus, it was an easy way to arrange his...midnight fun with Blitzo every month. 

Of course, that was before the prince started falling for the boss of I.M.P. The more they got to know each other, inside and outside of the bedroom, the more Blitzy took his heart. Yes, Stolas was married, but he and his wife were an arranged marriage that held no love in it. Respect and, to a certain degree, friendship was all there was. They worked pretty well together too. He had his magic and knowledge of rituals, and she had her contacts and spy network. It allowed them to be one of the top players in the game. That was all there was to their relationship save for their precious daughter, Octavia. Naturally, they had lovers on the side, and neither of them cared. Well, his wife did not like the fact he was bedding an imp, but only because she was worried about it hurting their reputation.

“Sir?” Prince Stolas looked up and saw that Reginald, his Head Butler, was near the living room entrance. “There is an imp who is here to see you. He says it's important.”

“Oh, is it Blitzy?!” Stolas asked with excitement. Had his red imp in shining armor come to see him for once to save him from boredom?

“No, it's the shorter one,” Reginald replied. “The one who has a short temper?”

“Oh, Moxxie,” Stolas replied with a disappointing sigh. “Very well. Send him in.”

A few minutes later, a very nervous looking imp walked inside. Stolas quickly noticed that he had his  _ Grimoire of Worlds  _ with him, much to the owl demon's surprise. Blitzy usually showed up for its monthly return, followed by the passionate sex, but never had he sent one of his employees before. Plus, it wasn’t even the time before the next full moon. Moxxie bowed on one knee to Stolas, which caused the prince to roll his eyes. “Your Majesty. Thank you for seeing me.”

“Yes, yes, Moxxie,” Stolas replied, waving his hand. “We’ve known each other for some time now. Any friend of Blitzy’s is a friend of mine, so please get up.” He leaned forward and smirked. “Besides, if you wanted to cheat on your wife with me, you should have bought your boss. I’ve always wanted to do a threesome with him.”

“W-what?!” Moxxie shouted, blushing red.

“Kidding! I’m just kidding,” Stolas chuckled as he raised his arms up. “You’re so easily riled up, little imp.”

“Y-yes, sir,” Moxxie said as he got up and sighed. “Prince Stolas, we have a major problem.”

“Financial difficulties again?” Stolas smirked before shaking his head. “That Blitzy, he’s always spending money on silly little things. A statue of himself. Horses from Saudi Arabia. A golden toilet. Ah, he reminds me of Octavia when she got her first credit card.”

“Your Majesty, it's more serious than that,” Moxxie said, sighing. “You see-”

“Well, whatever the problem is, I’m sure I can help Blitzy, but next time he really needs to come over by himself,” Stolas said while licking his lips. “There is only so much I can resist over that luscious, beautiful, crimson red cock of his! Ugh, Satan below and God above, I just want to swallow it in my mouth and-”

“Sir! Blitzo has been kidnapped!” Moxxie shouted.

...What.

“What,” Stolas said, all four eyes widened as he stared at Moxxie.

“Blitzo has been missing for nine days. At first, we all thought he was doing something stupid or pulling a prank, but there was no word from him. Nothing. He didn’t even appear for work or at home,” Moxxie explained.

Stolas quickly got out his phone and checked his texts. Nothing from Blitzo despite the numerous texts and pics Stolas sent to his favorite pillow partner. He checked Voxagram, which Blitzo always updated, and indeed nothing had updated in days. 

“Then, we got a phone call...” Moxxie went on explaining how the caller said they had Blitzo and had tortured him for nine days. Just hearing that alone was making Stolas shake with rage as his talons gripped into fists that were starting to draw blood. Moxxie then said that the kidnapper wanted the  _ Grimoire of Worlds,  _ which quickly raised Stolas’ eyebrows seeing as very few even knew of the book's existence or the fact Stolas let I.M.P use it. 

When the photos were mentioned, Stolas stood up and narrowed his eyes. “Show me.” Not as a request, but a demand. He needed to see them. He needed to see what these... _ animals _ had done to his Blitzy. Moxxie gulped and pulled them from this pocket.

The moment Stolas saw the first one, his power was unleashed so suddenly that Moxxie was blown across to the wall from the intensity. Each new image of Blitzo’s broken state only made his power increase from rage. The paintings on the wall were melting, and cracks began to appear on the ground. When he got to the one showing his Blitzy, his sweet hurt imp, crying with his beautiful face all ruined the dam finally broke.

With a loud, angry cry that echoed across half of Hell itself, the entire ground shook with Stolas’ demonic power. The palace was lit with such hellish intensity that parts of it were starting to come apart. Not since he learned of Octavia being bullied in Elementary School had he ever been so  **_fucking pissed!_ **

He was going to find these bastards. He was going to remind them that you never **_fuck_** with a Prince of Hell. Especially when you hurt someone he cares about.

**_“GRIMBEAK!”_ ** Stolas screamed as high as he could. His eyes glowing bright red like the sun itself.

In an instant, an owl demon in dark smooth armor appeared out of the shadows and landed beside his master. Despite the oozing amount of energy bursting out of the Prince, he kept calm and collected. “Yes, Master?”

**_“I want you to look at these pictures. Get the phone record from I.M.P. And search every avenue for where Blitzo is. See who's been making any rumors about getting into the human world or kidnapping an imp. I want every scrap of information, no matter how tiny. I want you to question every one of our contacts. And I want all of this done by tomorrow. Do. Not. Fail me.”_ **

Grimbeak took the photos, nodded, and disappeared like that. Stolas turned to the entrance of the living room and called for his butler.

“Yes, sir?” Reginald asked, also standing still unaffected. 

**_“I want you to get Millie and Loona from I.M.P and bring them here. Discrete with nobody seeing them leave. If anyone prevents it? Kill them. I want my daughter brought back here and message my wife to stay with her mothers until I say so. I want the palace locked down when everyone is here. Deny entry to everyone save for my wife, should she ignore my order, and Lucifer himself. Keep the Legions on standby. Make arrangements for our guests, and tell the Judas General Hospital to prepare for a patient. I want Blitzo to be given the best treatment Hell can give when we find him. Expenses be damned. Understood?”_ **

“Yes, sir,” Reginald answered with a bow before leaving. 

Stolas took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself. He hadn’t let out such power like that in a long time, and he needed to keep himself focused. Turning his eyes to Moxxie, who looked ready to crap his pants, Stolas walked over to him and kneeled to his eyes level. “Moxxie, I swear before the stars themselves that I will do  _ everything  _ in my power to bring Blitzo home and safe. I will not rest until he is back and that the assholes who did this die an  _ excruciating  _ death.”

“T-thank you, Prince S-Stolas,” Moxxie said as he got back up with the Prince’s help. “I’ll just text my wife about what’s going on. Then we can start planning on how we can help Blitzo.” He then handed Prince Stolas the book. “In the meantime, I think you should have this for now. It’s safer in your hands.”

Prince Stolas accepted the book, but he couldn’t help but hate it right now. It was because of this damn thing that Blitzo was in this situation to begin with. Maybe if he hadn’t given it to him, then this wouldn’t have happened? Regardless, Stolas would not stop until Blitzo was safe. Even if he had to fight against all of Heaven and Hell to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support. Next chapter will come in a week or so.


	3. The Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia comforts a depressed hellhound. Millie and Moxxie learn just how important, and powerful, Prince Stolas' book really is.

Whenever Octavia’s father sent her guards to pick her up, she was always annoyed because her father could be so overprotective. Seriously, her last boyfriend still was recovering in the mental ward after what her father did to him for breaking up with her. However, when he sent his ‘shadow guards,’ that was when she knew something was wrong. Her father’s shadow guards were not just one of the best, but they were considered even rivals to the elite guards of some of the noble _Fallen Families._ Octavia’s father only sent them when something had gone _horribly_ wrong, so she didn’t even argue when they arrived to take her back home.

The moment she stepped back into the front yard of her home Octavia knew things were worse than she feared. All the guards were armed and patrolling in groups of five. Members of her father’s Legions were seen in position in case of an enemy attack. The magical defenses that were thousands of years old were activated. Things were only ever this serious on Extermination Day. 

Needless to say, the first thing she did upon entering the palace was to try to find her father. She ran around the palace halls, hoping that everything was okay and that both her parents were safe. Thankfully, she found him in his study looking over a book while, to her surprise, Moxxie and Millie of I.M.P. were there talking to him. Their conversation was interrupted when Octavia arrived, to which Stolas rushed over and hugged her. “There you are,” he stared at her straight in the eye. “Octavia, I need you to answer me clearly and without a doubt. Did you notice anyone strange following you today?”

“No,” Octavia answered. She thought about saying something sarcastic, but the worried look in her dad’s eyes prevented her.

“Any messages, texts, or warnings you’ve received?” 

“No,” Octavia pushed her father’s arms away from her shoulder. “Dad, what’s going on? Why are you preparing like Armageddon is starting?”

“Nothing that serious, but I’m afraid things have...happened,” Prince Stolas said, with a heavy sigh. “Blitzo’s been kidnapped and has been their hostage for over nine days. They’ve...they’ve done horrible things to him, and they want my Grimoire in exchange for his life.” 

Octavia’s eyes widened as she recalled Loona asking if anyone had seen her father. The hellhound assured her that things were okay, but deep down, Octavia knew something was wrong. _It's a curse to be right all the time._

It wasn't a surprise that Octavia's father was involved, book or no book. She knew of her father’s feelings for the head imp assassin, and she had mixed feelings about it for a long time. It took Octavia years to figure out her parents really didn’t love each other like most other parents, and finding out they were cheating on each other was the start of her teenage rebellion. It took a while, and a few family talks, to accept that while both her parents were not _in_ love with each other, they still cared about each other. More importantly, they never stopped loving her. They were still, and always would be, a family—just a bit weirder than others.

When her dad started sleeping with Blitzo, she didn't think much of it. Then her father started actually falling for the imp, which just made things even weirder. Octavia had nothing against imps at all, but Blitzo was a bizarre character. She didn’t know what it was that made her father love the guy, but he made her Dad happy, so he had to have some good qualities in him. Plus, she and Loona were close friends ever since the two met for the first time. Both bonding over their weird fathers before seeing each other as actual friends. Maybe they would be step-sisters if things got real between their dads.

“How bad?” Octavia asked, steeling herself.

“Based on all the evidence and possibilities, the person who kidnapped Blitzo might be a _Fallen_ Demon.”

Shit. That was bad. _Fallen_ were the original fallen angels who Lucifer led in his rebellion against God. _Goetia Demons_ , such as herself, were all Hellborn long before the Fallen arrived, which led to the Demon War in the early years before Lucifer became King. Needless to say, while the _Goetia_ outnumbered the _Fallen,_ they held far more power and abilities that few _Goetia_ could use. So it was agreed to let Lucifer rule all of Hell as its King while the _Fallen_ and _Goetia_ were given various positions to keep the powers of Hell in check. 

“What can I do to help?” Octavia asked, determined.

“Right now, I think a certain hellhound needs a friend,” Stolas pointed out, which made Octavia’s eyes widen. “She’s in your old room on the third floor in the west wing. If you need anything, just ask the staff.”

Octavia nodded and made her way out of the room. While a part of her really wanted to help save Blitzo, her friend needed her. She rushed to where her old room was when she was much younger as fast as she could. It had been turned into a guest room after moving across the hall to her current space.

Arriving at the doors, Octavia took a deep breath before slowly opening the door. The room was very spartan with just the barest of furniture like a bed, dresser, and so forth. However, the atmosphere was downright depressing, and it came from a sulking hellhound on the balcony. Loona just stared at the half waxed hellish moon above along with Heaven distant in the sky. Octavia slowly walked over to her friend and just joined in watching the sky above in silence. Neither of them said anything for a long time until Octavia finally decided to ask, “Thinking of howling tonight?”

“Maybe,” Loona said, but her tone was lacking any emotion. Her eyes, however, spoke of fear, sadness, and pain. You rarely found those three emotions in Loona unless you knew her well, which Octavia did, but never had the hellhound showed them so openly. “I don’t know yet to howl in sorrow or rage.”

“I hear that some hellhounds can do both at the same time,” Octavia said, leaning on her talons.

“Some hellhounds are stupid,” Loona muttered, crossing her arms. She slowly turned to Octavia, who just stared back at her. Closing her yes, Loona turned away. “I want my dad back.”

“He’ll come back,” Octavia assured, standing up and putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Dad’s a dork, but he’s very protective of those he cares about. He’s smart and powerful. Plus, those co-workers of yours aren’t pushovers. Between the five of us, we’ll be able to save your dad.”

“...I haven’t called him 'Dad' in a long time,” Loona muttered, paw over her face. “Now I’m saying it almost as often as breathing.”

“Is that so wrong?” Octavia asked. “I know you keep that attitude with everyone, but there’s no need to keep it up all the time.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Loona grumbled as she walked into the room. Octavia followed before the two sat down on the bed. “Hellhounds can’t show weakness. We can’t get too attached. It’s just how things are.”

“Is that really how things are among hellhounds or just the pack that abandoned you and left you to die?” Octavia asked, which earned her a glare, but she didn’t care. Loona didn’t scare her, and she knew that, for all her threats, there was no real danger from her. “I know learning the truth was devastating when you found out about your real family, but that’s no reason to hold in your feelings all the time.”

“Says the princess who has two parents that love her,” Loona said. 

“Two parents who love me, but not each other. One of which is fucking your dad monthly,” Octavia pointed out, rolling her eyes. “It’s not exactly normal. Shit, nothing is normal in Hell. Which is why we need to treasure what we do have that’s precious to us.” She turned to Loona and glared at her. “You have a father who rescued you from death when you were but a puppy. I’ve seen those pictures of you as a kid. And I’ve heard the stories from Dad about your childhood that Blitzo liked to brag about. You sounded like such a sweet kid, and when you told me the truth of your real family...well, I guess it makes sense why you act the way you do. Even if you acted like a jerk sometimes to others. Including, Blitzo.”

Loona pressed her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. She tried to hide it, but Octavia could see a few tears dripping down. Putting her friend in a hug, Octavia whispered, “Loona, he’s your father. It’s okay to admit you love him without looking weak. I do the same with my Dad despite how many times he embarrasses me. Stop with the stupid tough girl act and just be the real you. Especially now.”

That was all Loona needed as she just dived into Octavia’s chest and started bawling. Octavia just held her friend as her shirt got wet from the seemingly endless tears of a girl who just wanted her father back. And they would, Octavia promised, she would make her friend’s tears end by finding him.

***

Moxxie couldn’t help but feel appreciative that Prince Stolas was professional and serious about this. It was quite different from the usual crazy shenanigans that happened back at the office. Still, the imp would rather have those hair-pulling moments if it meant Blitzo was back. He and Millie focused on a holographic image of Imp City held by Prince Stolas’ magic, trying to find places where Blitzo could have been taken. Prince Stolas was looking over the phone records his shadow guards had provided him with just a few moments ago. 

Huffing, the prince tossed them aside. “Burner phone. Figured it wouldn’t be that easy.” He pressed his claws on the desk before staring at the two imps. “Are you sure neither of you recognized the voice?”

“No,” Moxxie said, shaking his head. “Loona didn’t know either. Blitzo sounded like he knew him due to how panicky he was about the kidnapper possibility of having the book. And it sounded like he definitely knew you since he said you...um...” He gulped. “Liked red cocks?”

This caused Prince Stolas to raise an eyebrow before rubbing his chin. “Hmm, so someone Blitzo and I both know. Or at least knows me very well. They also know about the Grimoire, which limits it to very few beings in existence.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?” Millie asked, staring at a mysterious book. “I mean, it’s just another spellbook. Right?”

Prince Stolas snorted before summoning the magical literature to his hands. “Far from it, Millie. The _Grimoire of Worlds_ is one of the most powerful and dangerous items in Hell, Earth, and Heaven. Only three copies of it exist. One that I own, another belongs to Heaven, and the last is somewhere hidden on Earth, but it's been lost since Solomon’s reign as King of Isreal. While it does contain powerful spells, its main power is the knowledge and ability to open portals in space and time. And not just to the world of the living. _Any_ world is possible.”

“Woah, and we’ve just been using it to go to one world. This can go to others?” Millie asked with stars in her eyes.

“Yes, in theory, you can travel to other worlds, timelines, dimensions, heavens, and hells outside of our own. However, I've only ever used it for our world and the human world. Traveling through space and time is perilous but near endless in its opportunity. However, mess with it, and you’ll find things going beyond crazy like unwanted guests from other dimensions or seeing various worlds crashing together into nothing but atoms,” Prince Stolas explained with a heavy sigh. “My job is to make sure Hell has none of these problems. That our dimensional state of being is in balance with no cosmic problems from outside forces. This act alone is dangerous, but I've been trained for years to use its power for this task. Along with a few...other tricks.”

“Wait, this thing can open up into other worlds, right?” Moxxie said eyes widened. “That thing could even...go to Heaven?”

“Yes, but I’ve never tried it myself. Nor would I be allowed to do so. While I am good with this book, Heaven has far mastered it to the point where any effort I try would be easily rebuffed. Like swatting a fly off your shoulder,” Prince Stolas muttered. “The closest I’ve ever gotten is Purgatory.”

“You’ve been to Purgatory?!” Both imps said with awe. 

It was the place between Heaven and Hell, where souls not evil enough to be damned nor good enough to be saved went. They stayed there for a certain amount of time until their final test, which would decide their fate. It was neutral ground for both angels and demons, with only a select few allowed to visit provided they didn’t do anything to disturb the peace.

“Oh yes, I happen to have a few good friends up there,” Prince Stolas said, walking around the table while reading the book. “It’s where I also meet up with Metatron at our monthly meetings.”

...What.

“What?” Moxxie and Millie both said at the same time. Neither were sure that their ears were hearing right, and their jaws were already on the floor. 

There were so many angels in Heaven that it was impossible to know them all, but some of them you knew just by reputation alone: Micheal, Raphael, Gabriel, and so forth. Metatron was one of them, but most only knew him of the legends of him alone. They say he had one million eyes and mouths covering his body, and every mouth could speak a different language. He was said to be one of the tallest angels and one of the most revered equally along with Micheal, the Leader of the Armies of Heaven, by being the Voice of God. Some even called him the “King of Angels” with a gaze that could turn any foe into obliteration with a single wink. 

“Y-You’re actually meeting with angels?! Sir, isn’t that treason?!” Moxxie pointed out.

“It’s been approved by God and Lucy himself,” Prince Stolas said, smirking with a wave of his hand. Millie couldn’t help but snicker under the nickname the prince gave the ruler of Hell. 

“B-But why?” Moxxie asked. Why would the two leaders of opposite sides in the battle for humanity’s soul allow their most trusted advisors to work together? It didn’t make any sense at all. 

Everyone knew that both Heaven and Hell were destined to clash once again and bring about Judgement Day for all. Most believed Heaven was sure to win, simply because God _was_ that powerful. Still, some die-hard supporters thought it was possible to defeat God and his armies. Moxxie, while a firm lover of his home, always kept himself out of such things and, thankfully, Blitzo had the same idea with their company. He made it clear to some customers he would not get involved in the war and wanted to keep out of it.

Prince Stolas looked around before snapping his fingers. A purple wave of energy spread around the room before disappearing. The Prince then glared at the couple who gulped upon the serious glowing red eyes upon them. “What I am about to tell you is top secret, but I trust you’ll keep your mouths shut. The only reason I am even saying this is because it might have something to do with Blitzy being captured. Should you even utter a word to anyone outside this room, I will take you to Cerberus himself to feast on your bones and shit you out when he is done with your bodies.” 

Moxxie and Millie both nodded and used their hands to zip their lips.

Sighing, Prince Stolas walked towards one of the windows and pressed his hand against the glass. “As you know, Hell is suffering from an overpopulation problem. It’s why the Exterminations have been going on for nearly five hundred years now. What you don’t know is that Heaven is also suffering from one. Although it's only been recent.”

“So, wait, is Heaven killing off their own kind too?” Millie asked in disbelief. “Or are there plans for demons to do their own Extermination Days? If so, where do I sign up?”

“No, it hasn’t gotten that bad yet, which is why they want to solve the issue as fast as possible.”

“So both Heaven and Hell are overpopulated, but it's us that has to go through the Exterminations every year?! That’s bullshit!” Moxxie growled. 

He lost some good friends in those days. He even nearly got killed once when the Blitzo had him take something out on a delivery, and the Extermination Date got pushed sooner without warning. He almost lost his life that day but barely made it alive. It was also one of the few times that Blitzo didn’t give him any shit and instead begged Moxxie, with genuine tears, to forgive him for sending him out there. Moxxie did without a fuss. After all, nobody didn’t know the date was pushed ahead, but he did milk his boss's guilt for a pay raise.

“Yes, but unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do about it now,” Prince Stolas grumbled as he shook his head. “The whole original purpose of Hell was to punish evil souls so they could eventually accept their faults and sins and be allowed into Heaven. Unfortunately, because those in power prefer to have sinners stay in Hell, either out of spite or their own needs. Thus, they also play a part in keeping the damned stay damned. We haven’t had any souls redeemed since the 1860s. It’s why Lucifer’s daughter has been trying to save souls with that Happy Hotel thing of hers.”

“I thought it was called the Hazbin Hotel?” Millie asked, scratching her head.

“Happy. Hazbin. Either way,” Prince Stolas shrugged, “at the rate, things are going, both Heaven and Hell will be too overpopulated. The problem is those humans. I swear, they breed more than rabbits. Charlie might have the right idea, and I do wish her well in trying, but she's got the odds against her. I still don't know why Lucifer allowed her to it, but maybe he sees something in the idea. Though, I still think he could have told her of our project. Regardless, the higher forces of both Heaven and Hell believe that the only way to end the overpopulation crisis is to create new Heavens and Hells. This has been the secret project we've been working on, and few know of it. Including you two.”

“New Heavens and Hells?” Moxxie asked, eyebrows raised. “Is that even possible?”

“With one _Grimoire of Worlds_? No, but with two. Yes,” Prince Stolas explained with a smile. “That’s the real task in trying to save our home. I, and a few others, are working with Metatron and his group to create new Heavens and Hells to put half the population in so we can avoid any more future Exterminations. Of course, these things take time, plus the book's powers depend mostly on the stars and planets themselves. So that’s why we’re only able to work on the full moon. It’s when the book is at its most powerful. Still, the process will take years to even get half-way to accomplishment.”

“Well, I guess that explains why you needed it every full moon,” Moxxie said. “But why all the secrecy, and why would the angels agree to this?” 

“Not all the angels of Heaven hate us, Moxxie. There is a reason why God allows damned souls to go to heaven should they manage to achieve the feat. Some of them genuinely want to help us. However, some angels and demons find the idea of us working together not only repulsive but would rather see the other side destroyed completely. Politics sadly is the same wherever you go, and there are powerful figures on both sides who would love to see the project fail by any means necessary should they learn of it.”

“...such as demanding one of the tools needed as payment for a kidnapping,” Moxxie realized.

“Exactly,” Prince Stolas growled. “Someone using that book could not only ruin all our hard work but also find a means to spark another war between Heaven and Hell.”

Moxxie was suddenly very sick, and he felt his wife comforting him to get him to stop looking green. It was one thing to save Blitzo from whatever horrible condition he had found himself in, but now they were trying to prevent an all-out war? “When did my life become so complicated?” Moxxie asked himself. 

“Look, forget the war and the book and all that jazz,” Millie said, getting them back on track. “We just need to find Blitzo. We find him, and these kidnappers lose. Simple as that.”

“Yes, but we don’t know where he is, nor are there any major clues. If only he left us a message or we had something to trace his steps in-”

“Wait a minute!” Moxxie shouted as he got out his phone. Quickly entering Voxagram, he went to his bosses profile and looked up the last photo: the one where he was complaining about getting photobombed:

“Look!” Moxxie showed the photo to the other two. “This was the last photo he took. See that imp stabbing the other imp? I didn't notice it at first, but he's carrying himself like an assassin or mercenary. Maybe he's involved, or he might know something!"

“Well, it's the best lead we have, so tomorrow we’ll check it out. I'll have Grimbeak look into who this specific imp is,” Prince Stolas said before yawning. “In the meantime, let’s get some sleep and hope Blitzy can hold on a bit longer.”

The two imps nodded before making their way out of the room towards the bedroom provided for them. While doing so, Moxxie just stared at the Voxagram photo and wondered how his boss was feeling.

***

...Pain.

All he could feel was pain.

It was so cold. Hell wasn’t supposed to be cold. At least not in this part of the pentagram.

He couldn’t see anything. Just darkness and his own blood dripping down his face.

Why wasn’t he dead yet? Why not kill him already? All they did was hurt him and healed him before doing it over and over again. He twitched as a drop of water from above landed on his sore back. Everything had been abused. His limbs. His chest. His head. His...asshole.

He shed a few tears but didn’t weep out loud. He wouldn’t let those _fuckers_ have the pleasure. All he could do was think about his family to keep him warm. About Loona and how made she’ll be mad for not getting those shakes. Moxxie yelling at him to come to work on time and stop visiting the two lovers in bed. Millie sharpened her knives while getting ready to soak them in human guts. All while waiting for that damn bird prince to call him and demand his cock over to play with.

He really wished that was happening right now. 

And he really hoped he could experience it again when this was over.

If...if this would ever be over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since we still don't know much about Hell and Heaven in the Hazbin Universe I'm doing a few creative directions of my own. Hope you don't mind. Next chapter will have some action in it.


	4. The Memories (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was originally going to get to the part where Millie, Moxxie and Loona go hunting for that other Imp assassin, but then I got an idea to showcase Blitzo in flashbacks and how the others look at him. This is the first part focusing on Moxxie and Millie. Second part will have Loona and Stolas.

Sleep wasn’t going to come easy. How could you sleep knowing that your boss was going through his tenth night of suffering? With nothing but some dark prison with no food, water, or warmth. It was funny. For hellborn demons, such as imps, such suffering was generally for the damned while the hellborn considered everything that happened to be pure normal. He wondered if this feeling, and whatever Blitzo was going through, was what the damned faced every day in this shithole of an existence?

No wonder humans tried getting to Heaven so badly. 

Moxxie opened his eyes, half expecting Blitzo to be watching TV in his living room or drawing doodles on his face. Like a dick aimed at his mouth. But all that greeted him was the empty darkness of the guest room Prince Stolas provided him and Millie with. Sitting up, he stared at the small lamp light and thought about all the times that he had to deal with Blitzo coming into his apartment without warning. The older imp didn’t know the word privacy at all, be it at work or outside of it. Moxxie honestly hated being the butt of his boss’ jokes as well. He did everything from making Moxxie feel insecure about his skills as a lover to blaming him for everything that went wrong. And it was all a joke to him. It seemed that, despite Blitzo leaving the circus, the circus never left Blitzo. 

He was such a clown that he never took anything seriously. Yet...there was more to his boss than just a foul-mouthed greedy assassin. There were times, few and far between, that Blitzo acted like a decent boss or person. It was those rare times that Moxxie found himself liking his boss. Such as that one job at the hospital...

***Months Ago***

“I still don’t know why this guy wants this nurse dead. She had nothing to do with his death!” Moxxie whispered as the three imps snuck against a wall in a human hospital. “I mean, it's not like she forced or tricked him into ODing on morphine.”

“Apparently, he wants her dead because she rejected going on a date with him or something,” Millie said with a shrug.

“Seriously? Do we have any standards at all when it comes to accepting jobs?” Moxxie asked, facepalming.

“Of course not, Moxxie,” Blizo said with a smirk. “Standards are for those who play by the rules and live a boring non-entertaining life. By the time they hit their mid-years, they realized they wasted their time trying to play fair in a world that just plain sucks. Why? Because only cheaters and ambitious people get ahead who have no morals and are willing to stomp anyone in the way to get what they want. Why do you think politicians, bankers, and businessmen never get in jail for their crimes while the rest of the world rots from debt and depression?”

Moxxie was about to say something when Blitzo’s phone rang. With a flip, his boss opened his phone and smiled. “Yes, Loony?” Blitzo’s eyes widened and then nodded. “Oh, really? Huh, well, okay then.”

“What happened?” Millie asked.

“Client canceled the hit,” Blitzo said, turning off his phone. Millie pouted in disappointment while Moxxie just sighed in relief. “Apparently, he realized it was stupid to blame his death on some girl who didn’t want to titty fuck his dick and called Loona to cancel the whole thing.”

“You’re taking this quite well, Sir,” Moxxie pointed out.

“Please, Moxxie, who do you think I am?” Blitzo smiled as he walked back the way they came. “I always make sure all our business deals are non-refundable if possible. Sucker already paid us, so the way I see it, who gives a shit if the dumb bitch is dead or not.”

“Figures,” Moxxie muttered as he followed his boss.

They were just about to head into the examination room where Loona would open the portal for them when a voice cried out, “Hey there!” 

The three imps froze in place before slowly turning around as a blonde female doctor with glasses matched over to them. Moxxie quickly slid his hand into his back pocket, where his pistol was waiting while he was sure the others were getting ready for their weapons as well. When the human female was about two feet away, she crossed her arms and smiled. “About time, you three got here. The children were getting upset.”

“...Excuse me?” Blitzo asked, eyebrows raised.

“You’re the clowns we hired to entertain the children, right? Your receptionist said you had to cancel last minute, but I guess you’re here now, so that’s all that matters,” the doctor said with a smile. “Guess you got lost, huh? It happens. Come on, the children’s wing is this way.”

The three imps stared at each other before slowly following the lady. Millie leaned closer to Blitzo and asked, “She thinks we’re clowns? What do we do?”

“Follow my lead,” Blitzo said with a happy tone. Moxxie looked into his boss's eyes and found a certain sparkle in them. Like anticipation and excitement, which made the smaller imp question what he was thinking. 

“By the way, what is the name of your group again?” the doctor lady asked.

“Oh, we’re the Immediate Mummer Professionals!” Blitzo proclaimed with a wink. “Otherwise known as I.M.P.”

“I am pee? Oh, I get it. That will get the kids laughing,” The doctor chuckled as Blitzo laughed alongside her.

“I know, right? Moxxie here thought the name was stupid, but I told him it's a memorable one,” Blitzo said, elbowing his shoulder. “Right, Mox?”

“Uh, sure?” Moxxie said, still trying to figure out his boss’s plan.

They continued to follow the human doctor while occasionally getting a strange look or two, but most humans ignored them. It was kind of nice to not get screamed at, shot at, or get crucifixes thrown at them. That didn’t do anything to them, of course. They were imps, not vampires.

They soon arrived at a big stage in some kind of auditorium where the doctor turned around and smiled. “I’ll be back with the children soon. So you should prepare for whatever you need to do for the performance.”

“No worries, Lady,” Blitzo said with a bow. “We’ll make sure those little tykes are laughing so hard you’ll think we used laughing gas in the ventilation.”

She nodded and made her way to the exit. Moxxie sighed before turning to the others. “Alright, she’s gone. Now let’s get out of here and-”

“Get out?! We can’t get out! We got a show to do!” Blitzo shouted with his arms in the air. “We got only a few minutes to get the act ready, but don’t worry! I’ve handled worse situations!”

“Sir, you can’t be serious about this! We’re not clowns! We’re assassins!” Moxxie pointed out.

“Relax, Moxxie, I’ve done this for years before I went into the blood money business,” Blitzo said as he wrapped his arm around Moxxie. “Besides, I want to see if I still got it! And if there is one rule you always listen to, as a performer, it's that the show must go on!” 

“...you just want me to be your butt monkey in this, don’t you?” Moxxie asked, deadpan.

“No! Of course not,” Blitzo said before coughing in his hand that sounded like a ‘mostly’ to Mox. “Anyway, let’s get started!”

***

It didn’t take long for the crowd of children to arrive to watch the show, each one excited for seeing this month’s entertainment. Once the last seat had been filled, the lights went off as the kids excited chatter turned to hushed whispers. A drum roll and trumpets went off as a stage light focused on the center of the curtain. 

_ “Ladies and germs! Children of all ages! Doggies and pussies alike! Give some warm applause for the Immediate Mummer Professionals!”  _

A small explosion of fireworks and smoke erupted on the stage, much to the kids' delight. Blitzo jumped from behind the curtain with a flip and twirl before showing his hands up in the air. A bright smile decorated his face as the kids all clapped in excitement. Millie and Moxxie then both slide across from opposite sides of the stage on their knees and present themselves with arms wide open and big smiles. 

“Thank you! Thank you! Hello, kids! I am the fabulous, amazing, and downright single ladies-” He made a winking motion at some of the giggling human nurses. “-one and only, Blitz _ o!”  _

Moxxie nearly broke his neck when turning to his boss upon hearing him actually using the “o” in his name. He had never heard his boss ever use his proper full name and insisted that the “o” was silently used. He gazed over to Millie, who looked just as equally as shocked as he was. The two didn’t get a chance to comprehend further as the two were dragged by the arm into Blitzo’s embrace. “And these are my lovely assistants, Milly The Silly and Moxxie The Foxie! And together, we are I.M.P!” 

Naturally, the little ones all laughed upon hearing the initials, to which Blitzo just shrugged before pointing at the children. “And we got a big show for you today, kids! We got laughs! Gasps! Thrills and spills! So let’s get this show on the road!”

***

Moxxie knew that Blitzo was once part of the circus, but he really underestimated just how good he was at this. Throughout the entire show, he had the audience eating in his palms with performance after performance. He did all kinds of acts with Millie and him, assisting in various ways. From juggling a chainsaw, spike bat, katana, water balloon, bowling ball, and flaming ax (all weapons they brought for the original job) to telling jokes that even Moxxie couldn’t help but laugh at.

Not that he excluded him and his wife. Millie had used her knife-throwing skills to narrowly hit Moxxie against the wall, much to his terror, but the crowd cheered when she hit a proper target. Then he used Moxxie as a target for kids to throw water balloons at him for a prize (some of those bobbleheads of the three that his boss seemed to always make). And then there was the rope walking act in which Blitzo used a long rope across the room and a unicycle to balance himself while Moxxie sat on his shoulders. Even he couldn’t believe the flip that Blitzo did with him holding onto his boss’s horns for dear life. 

When the show was over, the children and adults clapped as the three imps bowed to their audience with genuine smiles. The kids then asked for autographs while telling the three how awesome they were. Moxxie felt his heart warm up upon seeing the little ones so happy while Millie hugged each one of them. He had never had so many people, human or demon, compliment him with such joy that it almost brought tears to his eyes.

Blitzo got the most attention, of course, as the kids all asked for pictures or drew drawings of Blitzo. His boss handled it all with a smile and positive behavior like a proper entertainer. Many of the kids liked him so much that they all said they wanted to be as funny as he was someday. Blitzo seemed to have genuine tears coming out of his eyes when he waved the kids goodbye. 

Pretending to know where the entrance doors were, the three quickly rushed to their real exit and texted Loona to use the book to bring them back. Having returned just a few moments ago, Moxxie walked over to his office and collapsed onto his chair with a groan. His body was aching all over from the show, and he wanted nothing more than to head home and have a nice long shower. Millie walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. “You know? I think that was the most fun we’ve ever had on a job.”

“Yeah,” Moxxie whispered with a smile. “It was kind of nice to see the joy on the faces of those little kids.”

“I think the only one who was smiling more was the boss himself,” Millie pointed out before leaving the office. “I’m going to get some coffee. Want some?”

“Cream and sugar,” Moxxie said before walking out of the office as well. He wanted to know what Blitzo was doing after such an interesting outcome to their objective.

Walking over to Blitzo’s office, he saw the door was opened and walked right inside. The former circus imp was looking at one of the kids' drawings, which showed g Blitzo dancing around with the kids while throwing confetti in the air. A big smile was on Blitzo's face as he stared at it with melancholy in his eyes.

“Sir?” Moxxie asked, getting Blitzo’s attention. “I just wanted to say...that you were outstanding out there.”

“Thanks, glad to know I haven’t lost the touch. Ugh, my Dad would be laughing from his grave if he saw me unable to entertain a bunch of snot-nosed brats dying from cancer,” Blitzo said, smirking. He turned to one of the carnival posters that Moxxie often saw in the office as Blitzo sighed. “You know. I kinda missed that life. I guess I’ve been focusing on killing people for so long I forgot what it’s like to kill people with laughter.”

“Sir, if you don’t mind, why did you stop?” Moxxie asked, which made Blitzo freeze up. “It looked like you were generally happy doing such a performance. So why stop being one and becoming a killer for hire?”

Blitzo slowly turned to Moxxie, and he saw something that the smaller imp had never seen before in his boss: genuine sadness. Or sure, he faked a sniffle here or there. He even tried to trick you into thinking he was sad with the onions he had under his sleeves. But this time, Moxxie could see actual hurtful sorrow in his boss’s expression. Sighing, Blitzo leaned against his chair and turned his back to Moxxie. “Let’s just say something happened that didn’t make it fun anymore. Now you and Millie go fuck off.”

“Sir?” Moxxie asked, tilting his head.

“I said, take the rest of the day off. I know you two must be tired so consider this a half-day due to my good mood,” Blitzo said while waving his hand.

Moxxie thought about pressing the issue further but stopped himself and left to tell his wife the good news.

***Present***

It was a rare time to see Blitzo in such an honest state that it made Moxxie wonder if his boss was hiding his real self behind a mask. That the loud and obnoxious jerkass that he showed himself as was just a means to cope with something inside of him.

Something that was broken. After all, this was Hell. 

Hell was full of broken people.

“Can’t sleep, sweetie?” Moxxie turned his head to the other side of the bed. Millie looked up from her tired eyes and smiled. “You normally don’t breathe so loud when you’re asleep.”

“I was just thinking about how Blitzo might be feeling,” Moxxie answered with a heavy sigh. “Here I am, sleeping on a warm bed while he’s all alone while covered in wounds and bruises.”

Millie got up from her side of the bed and put her hand on his shoulder. “Blitzo is tougher than he looks, darling. We’ll find him and get him out of that hellhole.”

Moxxie nodded. “You know I was thinking about that time at the hospital where we put on that show for those kids? That was one of the few times I can think of Blitzo acting nice instead of his usual selfish self.”

“I think he’s a lot kinder when you think, honey,” Millie said, wrapping her arms around her husband. “Especially with what happened the day after.”

Raising an eyebrow, Moxxie asked, “What do you mean?”

“You went out to get lunch that day, so you didn’t see it, but...”

***Months Ago, The Day After The Hospital Incident***

Millie had often heard yelling from her boss’s office before. He wasn’t exactly the most subtle of people and liked getting under your skin for his own amusement. The many times her Moxxie had spent arguing with Blitzo was proof of that. However, this kind of yelling was a bit different. This time it was Blitzo who was the one yelling at the client, whoever it was, and it was getting on Millie’s nerves since she wanted to enjoy her lunch in peace.

Getting up from the kitchen table, she went back to the main lobby where Loona was chewing on some beef jerky while reading the latest Hellhound Monthly. “What’s going on in there?” Millie asked the receptionist. 

Shrugging, Loona didn’t look up from her magazine before answering. “I don’t know. Guess Blitzo is just angry at the client.”

“Must be some client if he’s got him screaming his mouth off,” Millie said, hearing some words that were a bit  _ too  _ naughty even for her. “Who is the client, anyway?”

“He’s the same guy from yesterday,” Loona answered. 

“I thought he canceled his hit?” Millie pointed out.

“Yeah, but apparently he got a new idea for revenge,” Loona said, shrugging. “Not sure what-”

**_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Upon hearing gunshots, Millie drew out her knife and rushed into the office. She was prepared for the worst but relaxed upon seeing her boss standing over the bluish Demonoid, who was missing half his face. Blitzo glared as he fired three more rounds before tossing the gun away. “Loona!” 

“Yeah?” Loona asked, walking in without a care.

“Dump this sack of shit in the usual place,” Blitzo ordered before returning to his desk.

“Whatever,” Loona snorted as she dragged the body out with a trail of his blood following.

Millie raised an eyebrow before turning to Blitzo, who was typing into his computer. “Um, what happened?”

“Asshole wanted to burn the hospital down. Said he wanted his revenge by killing off the entire staff and patients instead of just the nurse from yesterday,” Blitzo answered before taking a sip of his coffee. “We argued about the price since it had so many people that needed to die. He was a clingy cheap asshole. I shot him. End of story.”

Millie slowly turned her gaze to some of the pictures the kids from yesterday drew of Blitzo after their show. Framed right there hidden away so that nobody but the sharp-minded could see them. A small knowing grin decorated Millie’s face before she asked, “You sure that’s all?”

Blitzo paused in his typing and raised his eyebrow. “You implying something, Millie?”

Giggling, the female imp shook her head and turned around. “Nope. Nothing.” 

***Present***

“...he didn’t want to kill the kids,” Moxxie whispered in realization.

“Yup,” Millie said with a giggle. “I mean, we’ve killed kids before, but I think Blitzo couldn’t bring himself to kill the ones that made him a genuine smile that day.”

“...I guess there is more good to him than I thought,” Moxxie said with a smile as the two held hands. “Which is why we’re going to rescue him.”

The two slowly kissed before laying their heads down on the pillows. 


	5. The Memories (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second part of the memories. However, we're just going to go with Loona before heading to the next plot point in the next chapter. Reason being is that I got so carried away with Loona's memory that I couldn't add Stolas' memory. I'll add his later in the story somewhere. This is my personal headcannon btw of why Loona acts the way she does and her origin. At least until we get a proper origin story.

Loona really did appreciate Octavia’s help in all this, truly, but she still felt embarrassed to have cried like that. She hadn’t sobbed that hard since--Loona shook her head. No, she wasn’t going to think of those **_fucking scumbags_** now. She didn’t need to add more depressing thoughts to an already painful day. Being unable to sleep, Loona made her way around the halls, trying to find the kitchen in this big palace or at least a place where they keep the liquor. 

Eventually, she stumbled upon the kitchen (which had to be as big as their entire company floor) and made her way to the huge-ass fridge filled with various meats, fruits, chickens, fishes, and lots of birdseed, but no wine or beer. Grumbling, Loona took a soda and opened it before chugging the thing down with vigor. 

“Thirsty?” 

Loona nearly spat out her drink before turning around to see Prince Stolas, in a red bedroom robe with crowns and pentagrams on it, leaning on the counter. A small smirk decorated his beak before he made his way to a cabinet where he took out a box of tea leaves. “I happen to find myself needing a drink as well. Though I doubt soda will help you get to sleep faster.”

“I was looking for beer,” Loona answered before burping. “Got any?”

“No, I’m not into that kind of stuff. There is a wine cellar, but from what Blitzo tells me, you’d wipe it out in five hours,” Stolas said.

“Please, I can do it in three,” Loona bragged before taking another gulp of her caffeine. She then looked at the soda in her hands for a bit before turning to Stolas. “Hey? Um, Stolas? Thanks for helping.”

“Of course, Loona,” Stolas answered as he began to stir the tea in his hands with a magical teaspoon working on its own. “Blitzy is very important to me. He’s kind of like family. That means you're family as well. Along with Moxxie and Millie.”

“Yeah,” Loona muttered, leaning against the fridge. “Dad’s always going on about how the company is a family. I never saw it that way until...well...”

“Recently?” Stolas asked, motioning to a nearby chair and table set that the two soon sat at. 

“Millie’s been really supportive in all this,” Loona admitted, even if it was hard to do so. She had her pride, and the fact that she had been comforted at all was just embarrassing. Yet, a part of her found herself not caring. “And Moxxie? He's actually got balls after all. I’m surprised he’s kept his cool under all this while I’m just unsure what to do! Besides, kill the fuckers who did this.”

“Perhaps that’s why Blitzo hired them?” Stolas suggested as he took a sip. “He saw something in them that made them reliable not only as employees but friends as well.”

“I always thought it was because there was nobody better,” Loona admitted, tapping her claws on the table. “But...maybe I was wrong about them. I just thought it would be Dad and me, but with you, them, and Octavia? It feels like we're...”

“We’re your pack?” Stolas asked, using familiar hellhound terminology. It turned out to be the wrong thing to say as Loona froze up for a few seconds before unleashed a fierce growl. 

She glared at Stolas, who looked surprised upon seeing this. In the back of her mind, Loona knew that she shouldn’t be acting like this to a prince, but she couldn’t help it! She  **_hated_ ** that motherfucking word! 

_ “Never. Use. That. Word. _ ” Loona snarled as she tossed her soda can away. “Never use that! I hate that word!  _ It’s all bullshit!”  _

There was a long silence between the two as Loona tried to calm down, and Stolas just sat there in stunned silence. Covering her face with her arms, Loona pushed her anger down before muttering an apology. “Sorry, I just...please don’t use that word. Use family. Or anything else. Just not that.”

“Okay,” Stolas agreed before taking a long sip. “Does this have to do with your...origins?” Loona went silent again. “I’ve asked Blitzo before, but he always told me he never wanted to tell your story without your permission. I know you told Octavia, and I’m glad you two have a good friendship. You don’t have to tell me, but I must admit I am curious.”

Closing her eyes, Loona debated heavily about what to tell the owl demon. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. If anything, Loona owed him for all of this effort to help find her father. It just was such a painful memory. One that had yet to be fully healed even years later. Still, what the fuck did she have to lose?

“Get me some of that high-class rich wine you privilege cunts always have, and I’ll tell you,” Loona said while leaning back against the chair. A second later, a very fancy wine bottle in silver lacing appeared in a poof of smoke. She turned her gaze to a smirking Stolas. 

“Fucking bullshit magic.” She chuckled before taking the wine and popping the cork out with one of her nails. She decided to skip the glass and just drink from the bottle, feeling that warm honey tasting liquor down her throat. 

“Goddamn,” she gasped, pulling it away from her mouth. “You fancy-ass demons really know how to make a good drink.”

“Wine is more of my wife’s taste. I prefer vodka and gin,” Stolas said, summoning up his own glass and a second bottle. Loona raised an eyebrow as he began to pour himself a drink. “What? I can't get drunk at night as well? Although I usually like getting drunk with a certain red partner in my bed.”

“How about I tell the story before you start going off about my Dad’s dick?” Loona smirked before taking another swing. Sighing, she continued, “So, did Dad ever tell you where he found me?”

“I believe he found you shortly after killing a target,” Stolas answered after a small sip. “This was before I.M.P? When Blitzo was a regular assassin against demons, yes?”

“Yeah, I was found in Hangman’s Forest,” Loon answered, shaking her head. The place lived up to its name as a lot of suiciders ended up hanging there by the neck for days when they first came into Hell before finding some way to get loose. “I have no real memory of it, but Dad found me starving and howling in the woods. According to a doctor, I had barely survived and would have perished if he didn’t find me in time. I always wondered why Dad did it, but he just said he couldn’t leave me there and took me in as his daughter.”

Usually, Blitzo liked to make fun of or pull pranks on the homeless and starving in Imp City, but for some reason, he saved Loona. Even after all these years, she didn't know why Blitzo saved her and made it one of the questions to finally ask him when they got him back.

“He raised me on his own for sixteen years. I won’t say I was a perfect child. I got suspended from school more often than I could count. I didn’t get fully expelled because Dad always had blackmail on that dick of a principle. Seriously, whose bright idea was it to put a formerly convicted pedophile on earth in charge of a kids' school? Even if it is for the children of the damned? And before you ask, no, he never did anything to the kids. Hell decided to take his libido away as punishment for his crimes.”

Loona took a few more gulps before continuing to the hard stuff. “I always knew Blitzo wasn’t my real dad. I wasn’t stupid. Fuck, I was better at doing my homework than he was. How he managed to pass school as a kid, I’ll never know,” Loona chuckled, remembering the times when her father struggled to understand long division before throwing the calculator away. “But he always took care of me. He loved me. Always sticking up for me whenever I get in trouble.” And encouraging her to never get caught. “Spending no expenses paid for my birthdays.” Except for that one time they went to see a horse ranch. She found them too delicious to not eat one, and it was one of the few times she actually got grounded. Never get between her father and his weird obsession with horses. “He even stood by my bedside whenever I got sick.” Except for her full moon days. She might have let loose a bit too much if the police reports were any indication. “I couldn’t have asked for a better caretaker.”

“But I assume you were curious about your real family?” Stolas asked.

“Yeah,” Loona whispered while closing her eyes. “Dad never stopped looking for them ever since I asked when I was eight. Then one day...he found them...”

***3 Years Ago***

Loona had never been more excited and nervous in her entire life. Not since Middle School Prom when she went out with Duke Devil (and then dumped him when he found out he was into cats) or saw her favorite metal band: Vectalica!

Because after eight years of wondering who her real family was, her adopted father had finally found the pack she was supposed to belong to. All hellhounds were different based on the pack they were from, and her pack, the Silverfangs, were nomads who usually traveled around the nine hells and never stayed in one place for too long. But finally, they were going to be at a hellhound reserve where she hoped she would find her real mother and father. Maybe even siblings if she was lucky.

Adding the final brushes to her tail, Loona got up and took one more look at her outfit: Ripped blue jeans with a hole for her tail, Vectalica shirt with no sleeves, spiked dog collar, black leather ass-kicking boots, and fingerless gloves with spikes on the knuckles. Approving her clothing design, Loona finished combing her long silver hair and walked out of her room. She made towards the kitchen where Blitzo, wearing his heart covered apron, was flipping the last stack of pancakes on a plate.

“Morning, sweetie! Breakfast is ready!” Blitzo greeted before sliding to the table. He placed the plate on the center of the table before it cracked, and its legs slid off, resulting in it falling to the floor. “Oh, Goddamnit! I thought that super glue would last longer! Stupid cheap ass hardware store!” 

He knelt down and picked up one of the pancakes before wiping it with his coat. Handing it over to Loona, who leaned back, he asked, “Well, five-minute rule and all that jazz. Want some, Loony?”

“Uh, it’s five seconds, Dad. I think I’ll just get breakfast on the go,” Loona answered with an amused smirk before getting up and getting her car keys. “Besides, I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

“You sure you don’t want me to come with you? I mean, so long as there isn’t any butt-sniffing as some kind of weird-ass cultural dog greeting, that is,” Blitzo said, shivering. “Seriously, I’m hot and all, but a guy’s ass isn’t supposed to be sniffed at unless they’re having sex with eproctophilia as the foreplay. And that kinky shit isn’t as great as they make it out to be!”

“How do you know that?” Loona asked, eyebrows raised.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Blitzo muttered, crossing his arms. “Needless to say, never accept a skunk demon whore’s discount. Not worth it.”

“Right,” Loona said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll be fine on my own. Besides, you need to take out that rival pimp Valentino hired you to do. Because I want to have hot water in my shower again.”

“Ugh,” Blitzo grumbled as he crossed his arms. “I swear to all the circles of Hell this is the last time I do a job for that fucking piece of shit. You know the cock sucking bitch tried to offer some handjob by that spider tranny of his as payment instead fucking cash? When I rejected it, he smacked the kid in the face and kicked him for not being sexy enough to ‘woo’ me. I swear if I didn’t need the money, I would have ripped his face off and shoved it up to his ass.”

Taking a few deep breaths, Blitzo walked over to his adopted daughter and held her paw. “You sure you want to do this alone? I mean, I know this is a big deal and all...finally meeting your real family...forgetting about little old me.” 

Loona smiled before she put her paw on Blitzo’s cheek. “Dad, you’ll always be my dad. I’m not going to run off into the woods or something. I’m just finally going to meet the pack I came from.” 

She had a lot of questions too. Like who were her parents? Why did she get separated? Where have they been these sixteen years? She didn’t know if all her answers would be good or not, but Loona still wanted to hear them.

Wiping a tear from his eyes, Blitzo hugged Loona before rushing over to the ruined table and started eating the dirty pancakes. “Well, you have fun, dear! Tell me if we’re planning dinner or something with you’re real folks! I gotta eat these pancakes in two more minutes, or else they’re ruined according to the rule!”

“It’s five seco-you know what? Never mind,” Loona chuckled before she closed the door behind her.

***Seven Hours Later***

Loona kicked the door open so hard that it came off its hinges. Blitzo, who she didn’t see at first, nearly jumped off the sofa and pulled out a shotgun before sighing in relief. “Oh, Loony. It’s you so how-”

_ “SHUT THE FUCK UP!”  _

Blitzo’s eyes widened as Loona glared at him with rage and bloodlust in her eyes. Her outfit was ruined by evidence of slash marks, paws, and blood. Some of it hers and some of it others. Other hellhounds, she had to fight just to get them to get the fuck off of her. Loona knew she killed a few of them before she made for her car, and the teenage hellhound was glad she always had a pistol or two per Blitzo’s paranoia. But right now, instead of thanking him, she just wanted him to go away.

**_She wanted everyone to go away!_ **

“Loona wha-” Blitzo didn’t even get a chance to finish as a screaming Loona made for the TV and smashed it with her fists before throwing out the window. “Hey! I had to steal that from a target! You know what-”

_ “SHUT UP, BLITZO!”  _ Loona shouted, staring into her father’s confused and hurt eyes. She never once called him by his real name. Just Dad. Daddy. Or Father. 

Never just Blitzo.

And Loona didn’t care. 

She continued to howl and scream while trashing everything around her. The chairs were thrown across the wall. The table was smashed (again) in half. The dishes shattered and the walls covered in scratch marks. She kept imagining that everything in her path was the faces of those of her so-called  _ pack.  _ Her so-called  _ family.  _ The family that tried to  _ fucking murder her!  _

“Loona! As your father I demand-”

**_“YOU’RE NOT MY DAD!”_ **

If Loona had been calm, rational, or even sane of mind, she would have noticed what she said. She didn’t care that the big red idiot in front of her was scared. Nor did she care for the tears that were appearing in his eyes. The look he gave was one of shock and heartbreak, but Loona gave not a single shit. 

She didn’t care about anything anymore.

**_Because nobody cared about her._ **

And that was the fucking truth.

**_“Just leave me alone!_ ** _ Just leave me the. _ .. _ fuck _ ...alone...” Loona muttered. No, she couldn’t cry now. Not yet. Not in front of him. She made for her door and slammed it shut before unleashing a final cry.  _ “FFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK!” _

She pounded her bed. Ripped her sheets. Smashed her childhood memories and pictures. All of it was nothing compared to the rage inside of her. The pain she was feeling. Her heart demands blood and suffering from everything around her. She wished she smacked that bitch of a whore that gave birth to her when she told her to _fuck off and die._ Or wrap her jaws around her _sperm doner_ who said she should have just died all those years ago like the _weakling she was born as_. And she would give her entire tail just to have killed more of those bastards and bitches when they tried to kill her for daring to assault their _precious_ _alpha couple_.

When she finally could take no more, she fell to her bed and wailed. Words from those she wanted to know for ages whispered in her ears. Those who she wished she never met ever in her life.

_ “Worthless.” _

_ “Weak.” _

_ “Pathetic.” _

_ “Useless.” _

_ “Nothing.” _

Her family. Her pack. They didn’t lose her. 

They abandoned her because she had the unfortunate luck of being  _ born the runt of a litter. _

And they didn’t care at all.

***

Loona didn’t know how long she slept, but she imagined it was afternoon by now. Despite everything she did yesterday, the hellhound still felt a deep dark pain in her heart—the utter rejection from those who didn't once feel any joy that she survived. Instead, they were ashamed and felt dishonor for her not dying because her existence was an insult to them. It was hard to know that your family utterly wanted nothing to do with you, but it was another to learn they would have preferred if you had died in the first place.

She touched her wet cheeks and realized she was still crying. She shouldn’t be crying. She shouldn’t be acting so weak like a... _ like a runt!  _ Loona hadn’t been expecting hugs and kisses at first, but this...this was too much. How could they do this to her? Was this normal among hellhound packs outside of the big cities, or were they the exception? No, they were not her pack. She had no pack. No family. Nobody.

Nobody except...

“Loona?”

Gasping, Loona slowly turned to see Blitz opening the door. His eyes were both fearful of her and yet concerned at the same time. Memories of what had happened and what she said quickly entered her mind as she looked away in shame. “Go away.”

“...No,” Blitzo said firmly. He walked in, his face stern and stoic. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Why do you care?” Loona grumbled before snarling at her. “I’m just a  _ pet  _ to you, aren’t I?”

“Who said that?” Blitzo asked, narrowing his eyes. 

_ They  _ said that. They told Loona that being raised by an  _ imp  _ of all things made her even weaker. One of the mighty hellhound races was raised by the lowest and most pathetic beings in hell. It made them laugh and spit at her with disgust. 

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it!” Loona shouted as she stood up. She looked down at him, showing her teeth as he just stared at her without fear. “I’m just a weak and little  _ doggie  _ to be petted and babied like some  _ toy _ ! You don’t love me!  _ Nobody loves me! _ So why don’t you just get out so I can pack up some clothes and le-

_ SMACK! _

Loona just stood there. Her cheek stinging as she slowly touched the area where Blitzo slapped her. He never slapped her before. Spanked her a few times when she was little but never slapped. Loona felt all her anger suddenly just wash away from that one single hit, but Blitzo wasn’t done. He grabbed her by the shoulders and glared at her while a tiny whimper escaped her throat.

“Loona. I’m going to say this just once to you. So you better  _ fucking _ listen well,” Blitzo said, softly and yet with such anger in that low tone that it drove a chill down her spine. “Every day, hour, and a minute since we first met all those years ago, I have always thought of you as  _ my daughter. _ Not once have I ever seen you as some kind of pet or animal or beast. I’ve always seen you as my pride and my joy. I have spent these sixteen years working my ass off to make sure you were fed, educated, and safe. I threatened, blackmailed, and paid off those teachers and principles just to make sure you weren’t kicked out. I didn’t take those life-risking jobs, some that would give you nightmares, just so I could fill my wallet. I did it so I could give whatever I could to you!  _ I didn’t fucking pray to God, something no demon  _ **_EVER DOES,_ ** _ when you were sick with  _ **_Kennel Cough_ ** _ when you were nine years old because I was bored! I did all of that because  _ **_I FUCKING LOVE YOU!”_ **

He slowly removed his hands from her shoulders and then wrapped them around her. Pressing his head against his chest, Loona stood there with utter shock before he whispered to her. “I lost my family when I was your age years ago. I lost everything until I met you. You are all I have left in this world. Whoever the fuck told you these things, or whatever part of you is trying to convince you such thoughts, can kindly get fucked so hard they bleed out of every pour. You’re my daughter, Loony. And I promise you from here until Judgement Day... _ I promise I will never abandon you _ .”

“D-D-Da-Dadddaaaaaahhhh!” Loona wailed as she fell to the floor in tears. She hugged him so tight that she never wanted to let go. “I’m...I’m so-so...so-”

“Shh,” Blitzo said, rubbing her back. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

The two just sat there, together in the ruins of a ruined room. Yet, all that mattered was the love they were sharing between them.

A love only a  _ real  _ family could have.

***Present***

Loona finished the last of her wine and shook her head. “I won’t lie and say I became more of a bitch after that day. I don’t think anyone can blame me. After all, who recovers easily upon learning that your real family let you die off in the woods alone as a baby because they deemed you weak?”

“...I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Stolas apologized as he looked at his glass with sorrow. “To be rejected like that? To learn such a horrible truth...if I knew that such practices among hellhounds existed, I would have put an end to it.”

“It’s not common, at least not anymore,” Loona muttered, her speech a bit slurred. That fancy stuff really was strong after all. “But some fucking dipshits still practice it. Well, fuck them. I didn’t die. I’m still living. And I have one of the best assassins in Hell as a father.” She then stared at the ceiling with a sorrowful look in her eyes. “Blitzo’s done so much for me...I’m alive because of him...I don’t care what it takes; I’m going to save him. I’m going to save  _ my father _ .”

Stolas slowly got up and put his talons on Loona’s shoulder. The two looked at each other, both with understanding and determination. “We're  _ all  _ are going to save your father.”

With a small whimper, Loona rested her head against his talons as the two silently comforted each other in the dead of night.


	6. The Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get some action in this one. Also, shout out to Yaddoriart on twitter for posting about my fic on her twitter feed. I'm glad you like it.

Grimbeak had come through with his information. The imp in the photo on Voxagram was a mercenary named Vaax, who did any job so long as he was paid well. He wasn’t as well known as other high ranking assassins, but the imp did his best not to stand out save for clients looking for a professional. Moxxie looked over his copy of Vaax’s information and realized this wasn’t going to be an easy task. The Imp was an expert in close range combat and speed. Most of his targets were killed with a few quick slashes or stabs before he fled without a trace. His target list was pretty high, with the most famous murder he did being a Baron of Hell that Moxxie remembered reading about in the paper three years ago. 

“Any idea where he might be hiding?” Moxxie asked, putting his sheet down. Prince Stolas had everyone from I.M.P joining him at his office table along with Octavia, Grimbeak, and Reginald. 

“According to my sources, he hangs out at a bar called _The Hellhole_ somewhere downtown,” Grimbeak answered. 

“We know the place. We’re sort of regulars there,” Millie answered, frowning. “Bastard could have been watching without us knowing all this time.”

“There is one other thing,” Grimbeak said, showing a photo in his talons. Moxxie didn’t recognize it at first, but he soon realized it was the female imp that Vaax had murdered in Blitzo’s Voxagram photo. “This woman he murdered? Her name was Yima. She was a mercenary too.”

“Both of them were mercenaries?” Stolas asked, eyebrows raised. 

“Yes, Yima tended to try and seduce her targets before either killing or capturing them once she had them in her claws. It looks like Vaax recognized her and took her out before she could take Blizo,” Grimbeak answered, crossing his arms. “We still haven’t heard anything about an open hit on Blitzo. So we’re assuming the contract for his capture was only given to a few contractors. Those who keep themselves low key, but are still skilled enough to have captured him alive.”

“They had to be. Dad’s a pretty tough assassin,” Loona pointed out.

Moxxie nodded in agreement with the hellhound. Save for a few instances where they were outgunned or a mistake was made (that he was often blamed for), Blitzo was talented in killing his targets with ease. He had been doing it far longer than either Moxxie or Millie and was skilled in all types of combat. The only reason Blitzo wasn’t as rich as some of Hell's other high profile killers was because he had the worst business sense in the world. He couldn’t save money for shit.

“Well, shall we bring Mr. Vaax in for a talk?” Stolas asked, tapping his fingers together. “I do so wish to know why he thought it wise to go after **_my_ **Blitzy.” He turned to Grimbeak. “Grimbeak. Get our men and prepare to move on my command.”

“Your Highness, that might be a bad idea,” Moxxie said, interrupting the owl demon. “While I have no doubt that your shadow guards are capable of taking Vaax down, I suspect that Vaax has been watching us for some time now. Chances are he knows that Blitzo and you are...connected at the very least.” Moxxie looked at the sheet of information. “He seems like the kind of mercenary who prepares for an escape plan if his reputation is accurate. Plus, when he sees a non-imp in the bar, especially a Goetia demon, he’s going to suspect something. We can’t risk him getting too scared, escaping, and going underground. It would take time to find him again, and Blitzo doesn't have that long.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Octavia asked, tilting her head.

“Me, Millie, and Loona will go into the bar and capture him,” Moxxie suggested, standing up. “We’re known faces there, so it wouldn’t be too suspicious to see us. Once we have him, we can ask you to summon us back here with a portal, and we can interrogate him from there.”

Prince Stolas thought about it for a moment before nodding his head. “Very well. Reginald?”

“Yes, sir?” The Head Butler bowed.

“Go get them some of our security radios so they can remain in contact with each other,” Stolas said, to which the butler bowed again and left. Getting up, he turned to the three I.M.P employees. “I wish you luck in capturing our target. Meanwhile, I’ll prepare the torcher chambers. It’s been a while since we last used them.”

“Yeah, last time you used them, you were showing them to my last boyfriend,” Octavia huffed, crossing her arms with a glare.

“Oh, but sweetie, it was so funny seeing him pee his pants!” Stolas said with a chuckle.

***

Millie knew she had to keep her cool for this mission, but a part of her was just itching to run inside the bar, guns blazing, and find the cocksucker who took her boss. She was right between Loona, who was flexing her claws, and Moxxie, who kept a tight grip on a long black briefcase. She didn’t know what was inside it, but Moxxie had requested they stop by the office to get it. 

Millie decided to push the question from her mind as they made their way towards _The Hellhole_ in all its shitty dump of wasteful glory. It wasn’t just a bar, but a hangout for mercenaries, assassins, and bounty hunters, so it had a reputation to it. If one wanted to get a cheap and sleazy killer for hire, you came here. It was also here that she met Blitzo and agreed to join his company. Back then, I.M.P was just another assassin group hunting down demons for various citizens in Hell before Blitzo got that fancy book. She had to admit, killing humans was far more fun than killing demons, and she got to see Earth once in and while. It was quite a beautiful sight, and she and Mox had planned on doing their anniversary there next year.

“You guys ready?” Loona asked, getting Millie’s attention. The hellhound was glaring at the entrance with such intensity it could burn the door down. 

“Yes, but I think you should be acting like you normally would. Right, Loona?” Millie pointed out.

“Right.” Loona soon got out her cell phone and started texting on it while putting on her usual uncaring look. It was almost kind of scary how easily Loona managed to change her attitude. “Can we just fucking do this already?”

“One sec,” Moxxie said as he touched his ear where the hidden radio was. _“You guys hear me?”_

Millie gave a thumbs up while Loona, without looking from her phone, just raised her middle finger. Nodding, Moxxie opened the door and let them inside. The place wasn’t up to its usual full capacity but still held a decent amount with various imps drinking, talking, playing billiards and darts, or arguing with each other about something. The place still smelled like a shithole with the red lights making the site look like a cheap imitation of hell some stupid human bar would try out. Broken glass bottles and peanut shells were all over the floor, along with the occasional passed out drunk or dead body with a knife in their back. 

“Ugh, I hate coming to this place,” Moxxie muttered while watching a thin imp in a hoodie puke all over the wall. 

“Oh, suck it up. It’s not as bad as Baltimore,” Loona muttered, typing on her phone. A nearby drunk imp stared at Loona before giving her a wolf-like whistle. He then started grabbing his crotch and shoving it near the hellhound. Loona’s response was to just kick him in the face and let him bleed on the floor. 

Millie made her way to the front of the bar, where she spotted a few empty seats. So far, she saw no sign of their target. The bartender, a big elder imp with massive horns and a mustache, finished washing the semi-clean glasses before noticing the three. “Well, if it isn’t the I.M.P crew. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Hey, Krop,” Millie said with a fake smile. “The usual.”

“One Succubus Kiss cocktail, Goatblood beer, and a glass of water coming up,” Krop said as he went to work. 

The three sat down, accepting their drinks, before engaging in fake small talk. Mostly Loona just mocking Moxxie for getting water like a pussy while he whined about her attitude. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact they were hunting down someone, you'd think life was normal as always for them.

Still, Millie tried to think of a method to get her to look around the bar without looking too suspicious. Bathroom? No, too obvious, and it wouldn't give her enough time to look. Play a game of billiards? She quickly glanced over her shoulder and cursed upon seeing every pool table occupied. Her ears then caught on to the terrible 60’s country music that Krop seemed to love.

She grinned, Jukebox it was then. 

“Be right back,” Millie said, sipping her cocktail before getting off her stool. “Going to change the music to something better.”

She turned around and made her way down to the music box, where she darted her eyes back and forth quickly. A few familiar faces nodded to her, but not their target. Could he also not be weathering his mask and cloak? They didn’t have a photo of him without it, so Vaax might have been...just to the right of the jukebox. 

With halted breath, Millie did her best to avoid the eyesight of the cloaked imp. A brief second was all she needed to get a look at the bastard that took Blitzo. Reaching the jukebox, Millie acted like she was looking for a song to pick while looking out the corner of her eye for a second look. It was him, alright. 

Jason Voorhees hockey mask with void-like eyes. The dark grey cloak covering his body save for the two imp horns coming out of his hood. He just sat at his table, back against the wall, staring at the other side of the bar with a beer. Yet, Millie knew enough killers in her life that he wasn’t relaxed at all. Was it because he recognized her? Or was it just because this was an uncomfortable place where you could easily get shanked? 

Silently, Millie contacted her team. _“I got eyes on him. Table to the right of the jukebox. We need to-”_

“Millie?”

Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted a female imp waitress in a sexy schoolgirl outfit looking at her. “I thought I recognized you. Are you still looking for that lost boss of yours?”

Shit.

“‘Cause I’ve meant to talk to you about that,” the waitress said, placing her finger on her chin in thought. “I think I saw him getting a shake about...a week and a half ago? I can’t remember.”

Double shit. Millie could feel Vaax’s eyes now on her back.

“But yeah, I know you’re worried and all, so I figured I’d let you know that-” Millie tuned her out as she slowly turned her head and saw Vaax staring at her with his mask. For a split second, the entire world of Hell was quiet and unmoving as two skilled assassins stared at each other.

Then it all hit the fan.

Vaax reacted first, throwing a knife at Millie, who grabbed the waitress’s serving plate and used it to stop the blade from slicing her face off. She then threw the whole thing at Vaax, who tilted his head to dodge it. Millie drew out one of her own knives and made for Vaax, who kicked the table in her face to stop her. 

He jumped off his seat and flipped over Millie, but before he could make a run for it, she drew her other knife and stabbed his coat. Twisting her grip, she brought him towards her, turning him around and right into her knee aimed at his gut. Despite the blow connecting, Vaax managed to headbutt Millie and free himself from her grip before drawing two more knives.

Grinning at the challenge, Millie charged forward with her own set of blades, and the two entered a small dance of death. One side would strike the other while dodging another blow before clashing blade against blade. Vaax tried to hook her arm with a block before attempting to slice a vein out on her wrist. But Millie quickly brought up her knee upon his hand and knocked the blade into the air. Grabbing it with her teeth, she twirled around and threw one of her knives at close range, which missed, but it was just a decoy for her to spit the other dagger into her mouth and slice. It managed to graze Vaax's mask, and he jumped back to gain some distance.

“Millie, duck!” Moxxie’s voice cried out, causing her to get low.

Vaax quickly grabbed a nearby patron and used him as a shield to block the bullets from Moxxie’s 1911. He then threw the dead body at Millie, who sliced it in half with her knives, but that was enough time for Vaax to make a break for it. He made for the exit and busted through the front door with such speed it was like watching a roadrunner escape. 

“He’s getting aw-” Millie didn’t even get to finish as a white furry blur rushed right past her on all fours with a series of barks following. Millie quickly followed while yelling at Moxxie to catch up, but for some reason he went the other way.

Contacting him on the radio, she asked, "Mox! Where are you going?!"

_"Trust me! Just keep on him!"_

Millie hoped her little Moxxie knew what he was doing as she continued her chase by following Loona's barks.

***

Loona had him in her sights, and she had her prey’s scent. Now that she was out of that fucking asspit of a bar, Loona could smell better and locked on to her mark. The asshole was fast, but hellhounds were one of the fastest creatures in Hell for a reason. Using all fours, Loona kept up with the cloaked pussy pushing anyone in his way, but she wasn’t going to let him go. Not even if she had to run for miles.

Howling, Loona unleashed the beast inside as her teeth came out in force, snapping at the cloak of the running asshole before she got a bite. However, her prey was quicker and managed to slice that part of his cloak off before making for the alley nearby. Loona spat out the cloth and followed, only to be temporarily stunned when Vaax pulled out a grappling hook gun and fired it at the roof. A second later, he started zipping upwards. 

Reading his movements, Loona increased the speed and power of her legs as she jumped off from one wall to the next in the ally. She kept jumping from wall to wall until she managed to grab the cloaked imp in mid-air and landed with him on the roof of the building on the left. Before she could attempt to pin him, he stabbed Loona in the side with a small knife. Wincing, she cursed when Vaax kicked her off and rolled back to his feet with another knife drawn.

Loona didn’t know how many knives the fucker had, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop her. She dived at him, claws out and ready to rip his skin apart, but he was quick enough to dodge them. Vaax tried to get behind her with a dagger aimed at her back, but Loona was one step ahead. Her leg swept him to the ground, causing him to lose his balance and land on his back. She tried to drop her elbow onto his face, but he managed to roll away and kick himself back up, only to get a claw in the shoulder that spilled blood.

He then started throwing knives at Loona, each of various sizes, which forced her to jump and flip to dodge them. A few managed to scratch her fur, but she ignored the pain before getting back on all fours. Charging again, Loona attempted to strike his face again, but Vaax quickly cut her palm and forced her back. He tried to stab Loona right at her heart but jumped back to avoid another knife that nearly hit him dead center. Both of them turned around and saw Millie charging towards them with a knife in each hand.

Seeing himself outnumbered, Vaax turned around and made for the edge of the building where the street was under them. Taking out his grappling gun, he shot it at the building across from them and swung off before the girls could grab him 

“Shit!” Loona shouted.

" _I got him!"_ Mox shouted on radio.

"You got him?! But how-"

**_BANG!_ **

A bullet snapped the line in two, causing Vaax to drop to the street like a sack of weights. He slammed onto a passing car hard, breaking the glass as it came to a screeching halt, which caused the injured imp to roll off the vehicle and onto the street. His left arm was bleeding, his right horn was broken, and shards of glass were impaled in his back, but he was still breathing. Turning to the right, they saw Moxxie in the distance on another roof while holding a rifle in his hands.

_“Get him, girls!”_ Moxxie shouted on the radio.

“Nice shot, Mox!” Loona shouted as she jumped down and landed on the pavement. She pushed past a crowd of curious imps before charging at the stumbling Vaax. 

Not giving him enough time to react, Loona dived with her jaws wide open before biting down hard on his already bleeding arm. A satisfying snap of the bone and his scream of pain made Loona’s tail wag before she threw him against a hot dog stand with a spin. She then grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The impact left a small crater in the pavement as Vaax coughed up some blood before weakly holding up his hands.

"Enough...I...sur...surrender..." He coughed weakly. 

“Oh, had enough, fuckface?!” Loona roared as she forced him down on his stomach. “You better hope you have what we need, or I’m going to eat your heart out and shit it down your throat!” 

Millie arrived soon after with Moxxie, who was shouldering a Walther WA2000 Sniper Rifle, arriving a few minutes later. Well, now Loona knew what was in that briefcase he had earlier. Moxxie pulled out his cellphone and quickly called Stolas. “Your Majesty? We got him. Send us back.”

A split second later, a portal appeared in front of the crew with Stolas’ living room's beyond it. Loona forced the injured imp up before throwing him into the portal, where two of Stolas’ guards grabbed him before he could make any moves. Millie turned to the stunned crowd with a smile and said, “Sorry, folks! I.M.P business! If you ever need something taken care of with violence, be sure to contact us!”

“Really, honey?” Moxxie asked as he walked through the portal.

“What? I thought it would be a good advertisement,” she answered before joining her husband. Loona rolled her eyes and soon followed suit before the portal closed behind her.

The citizens on the street just stared at what just happened before quickly getting out their cellphones to chat and show their friends what happened. Needless to say, threads on social media spent hours debating what was going on with everything ranging from a movie shot to a conspiracy about the Royal Family using third-party contractors to cause violence in the streets to take away imps rights in owning firearms. 

Because no matter what dimension you were in, social media was always full of crazies. 


	7. The Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang interrogates Vaax for answers about where Blitzo is and how he captured him. Afterwards, they try to get more information by luring out some of the kidnappers goons.

When Octavia heard that they managed to capture the imp mercenary who might have taken Blitzo, she expected to find the team happy or in celebration. Instead, the princess found Millie arguing with Loona in the living room while Moxxie shook his head. Octavia soon learned the reason upon noticing Loona had a few cuts on her arm that were bleeding and a stab to her side that the hellhound was holding with her arm. Octavia winced upon seeing it. Even though she knew Loona could handle more damage than that, it was still a bloody sight to see. The cleaners would have a fit about the red mess on the floor, especially on the carpet her mother loved so much. 

“I’m telling you! I’m fine!” Loona growled while showing her teeth. “Now, can we just go interrogate this guy already?! I can get healed later!” 

“No, you don’t! You are going to get medical treatment or, so help me, I'll drag you there myself!” Millie shouted, getting right up in Loona’s face. 

“Your not my fucking mother,” Loona muttered.

“Well, until we get your father freed, I am responsible for you!” 

“I’m nineteen years old! Not twelve!” 

“Well, you are acting like one,” Moxxie said, coming to his wife’s side. “Seriously, Loona, you really should get bandaged up. We’ll go see how the interrogation is doing, and then we’ll let you know everything.”

“But-”

“Loona, just do it,” Octavia said, getting the hellhound’s attention. “Much as your demonic healing factor is preventing you from bleeding out too much, this is still my house, and I’d like it as bloodless as possible.”

Loona looked at all three of them before throwing up her hands in the air and kicking a nearby chair over. Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed down and pointed at them. “Fine, but the moment you get everything I want to know! Now, where’s the stupid doctor?”

“Jerry? Please escort Loona to the Hospital Wing,” Octavia asked one of the nearby guards, who nodded before guiding Loona out of the room. 

“Relax, Loona. It’s not like you're going to the vet,” Moxxie joked with a smirk.

“...I piss in your coffee every Thursday,” Loona said, smirking as Moxxie’s face started to turn green. He made a nearby waste bin and started throwing up, much to everyone’s disgust and Loona’s amusement. 

"You disgusting little-ugh!" Moxxie heaved while Loona flipped him the bird before leaving with her escort. 

Once he was done puking up his breakfast, Moxxie raised his head and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “That girl is a bitch.”

“Aw, she’s just worried about Blitzo,” Millie said, rubbing her husband’s back. “But regardless, we should go see what Stolas has been pulling out of our guest.”

“Follow me,” Octavia said before noticing Moxxie turning green again. “Um, let’s get some alka seltzer first.”

***

Humans were really such fascinating creatures in the eyes of Prince Stolas. It was pure entertainment to see a species that was made in God’s image act so barbarian you’d think they were made in Satan’s image instead. They only seemed to get more violent and depraved with each generation. By far, the most fun time was during the middle ages. Such a bloody and savage moment in history that it was one of Stolas’ favorite periods on Earth. Demons had such a delightful time manipulating various kings, dukes, bishops, and knights like chess pieces against each other for amusement. Eventually, it all ended, but there were always the memories. 

One of the things Prince Stolas did to preserve those times was decorating his torturer chambers precisely like something you would see in an Inquisitions Headquarters in the 12th century. The various instruments of pain and suffering, horrible cell conditions filled with dried blood and piss, and all combined with rats would eat anything they got their greedy little claws on. It was like traveling back in time for visitors, but for prisoners, it was a nightmare. While he did keep the decorum the same, Stolas made sure to add more modern touches to it. Such as magic seals to prevent breakouts, stone golems to act as guards, and a few more common practices today, such as the Chinese water torture method. 

Sadly, they weren’t used as often as before, but Stolas finally had a _guest_ who would be given the full treatment. He walked down the dark corridors with two of his shadow guards, his daughter, and the married imp couple who insisted on coming along. With a wave of his hand, the magical locks in place were turned off and the wooden door opened to reveal Vaax chained to a steel chair in the dark cesspool of a room. The rats in the corners quickly scuttled away to their holes while Stolas, eyes glowing in the dark, walked up to the mercenary who, to his credit, wasn’t shaking in fear. Crimson eyes of hate met with black-masked eyes before Stolas leaned in and began to whisper. “Let’s not sugarcoat anything here, Vaax. You know as much I do that you are currently _fucked_ right now. You know why you are here, and you know what we want. So I suggest you answer us truthfully, and without any resistance, or you will see your spine removed from your back very slowly.” Lifting himself back up, Stolas asked, “So what will it be?”

“Save the big scary speech, Prince Stolas. I was planning on telling you everything anyway,” Vaax answered.

“Really? Just like that?” Moxxie asked, eyebrows raised. “What’s the catch?”

“There is no catch. I’m currently a prisoner of one of the most powerful demons in the realm. One who could utterly ruin me with magic until I’m nothing but a smoking pile of goo.” Vaax snorted. “You think I have a snowball’s chance in Hell of escaping? The way I see it, I’m not making it out of here alive, so it's either a quick death or a painful one. I’ll take the fast one, thank you. Unless you plan on killing me permanently with one of Heaven’s weapons?”

“Sounds promising, but no,” Stolas stated before glaring at Vaax. “Tell me what I need to know, and I’ll give you that quick death. Give us something _beneficial_ , and I _may_ hold off killing you for now.”

“Right, so what do you want to know?” Vaax asked, leaning back against his chair.

“Where’s Blitzo!” Millie demanded.

“I don’t know,” Vaax turned to Stolas immediately as the owl’s face was about to become enraged. “And that’s the truth! After I knocked him out, I took his body to a meeting place I was told to arrive at. It was a group of six of them. Three raven looking _Goetia_ demons, I think they're called tengu. The other three were hellhounds. They were red-furred with black tattoos, so they had to be of the Devil Dog pack. I just gave them the body, and they took off with him.”

“Why would a bunch of _Goetia_ demons and hellhounds want Blitzo?” Millie asked.

“I doubt they’re the real kidnappers. Most likely hired help,” Stolas answered, rubbing his chin. "Hellhounds being hired as goons is normal, but tengu? Those demons are of a much higher tier of strength."

“Plus, tengu demons don’t really _hire_ themselves out,” Octavia pointed out. “Those guys are honorable warriors who fight for the masters they're sworn to serve. So whoever is working for them has to be a high-level _Goetia_ or _Fallen_ demon.”

That made things even more worrisome. There were several nobles that Stolas could think of that could have a clan of tengu serving them: Marquise Aamon, Duke Buné, Lord Balam, and others. 

“How were you contacted? Did you even meet your employer?” Moxxie asked.

“No, I got a call on my cell asking me to meet me in an abandoned alley for a job. A hellhound gave me instructions to capture your boss and offered a good seven million for his capture. Half of it paid upfront,” The others' eyes lit up upon hearing just how much money had been offered. “Job was too good to pass up, so I agreed. I stalked him for a week and learned he liked to get shakes at the same place three times a week. I just bribed the store to place a drug in his drink to knock him out. That bitch Yima almost ruined everything, but I took care of her just before he started to feel the effects of the drug.”

“Octavia, remind me to give that place such a bad Yelp review that they’ll never get business again,” Stolas asked his daughter before turning his attention back to their prisoner. “Do you have any idea _why_ Blitzo was captured?”

“No, and I don’t ask,” Vaax answered. “I find my life a lot simpler if I don’t question orders. Although it seems I should have passed on the job entirely. Knew the job would get me in trouble despite the pay.”

“Are you still able to contact them?” Stolas asked as a plan began to form in his head. 

“I guess? I still have that one guy’s number on my phone. Why?” Vaax asked before Stolas levitated it out of his pocket.

“Because if you’re lucky, I might still have a use for you after all,” Stolas said as he walked out of the room with the others.

“Well, can you at least let me out of these chains! I’m starving here! Hey!”

***

“What are you planning, Dad?” Octavia asked as the group exited the underground chambers and arrived back in the living room. 

“Since we can’t get any real information from Vaax, I think we can get information from the one that contacted him,” Stolas said, shaking the phone in his hand. “Granted, it's a bit of a long shot, but so far, it's the best chance we have of knowing where Blitzo is or who is at least behind this plot.”

“So, we’re going to trace the call?” Millie asked.

“Yes, but sadly it might take another day or two,” Stolas sighed as he stared at the cellphone. “I can’t think of any other method at the moment.”

“We don’t have another day or two! By that time, the kidnapper will want the book, and if we don’t give it to him, then Blitzo is curtains!” Moxxie shouted, crossing his arms. “There has to be another way! Maybe something to drag them out in the open?!”

A bright idea came to Octavia as she quickly grabbed the phone from her dad. “I think I got it. Trust me on this,” Octavia said as she ignored the eyes on her and looked for the text that Vaax mentioned getting about the job. 

Finding it, she quickly saw that the number was still textable, so she decided to go to work:

_Vaax: Hey, I need to meet up with you._

_Unknown Number: We’ve already concluded our business. If we need you again, we’ll contact you._

_Vaax: I just managed to get attacked by those three assholes at I.M.P. They captured me and tried to get information out of me, but I managed to trick them into thinking I don’t know anything._

_Unknown Number: So?_

“Okay, here goes nothing,” Octavia commented before continuing. 

_Vaax: Well, I could always tell them_ **_who_ ** _contacted me for the job._

_Unknown Number: Are you fucking threatening me?_

_Vaax: More like offering an exchange. I hear Prince Stolas is fond of that imp you took. He doesn’t know what’s going on yet, but if he does? I wonder just how powerful he really is?_

The texting stopped for a while as Octavia waited for an answer. The others had gathered around her and watched. Reading the texts, Moxxie asked, “Are you sure about this, Princess?”

“One, don’t call me Princess,” Octavia growled as she narrowed her eyes at the tiny imp. “And second, it's the quickest way to get a meeting with these guys.”

Finally, there was a reply:

_Unknown Number: What do you want?_

_Vaax: 3 Mil in Ca$h for my silence._

_Unknown Number: 2 Million._

_Vaax: 2.5, or this conversation is over._

_Unknown: Deal. Meet us at Warehouse 13 by the Warehouse District of Imp City at 8PM. If you’re one minute late, the deal is off._

_Vaax: I’ll be there._

Everyone sighed in relief upon seeing this. “Great work, Octavia,” Stolas complimented as he hugged her from behind. “That’s my daughter! Smart as her father!”

“Then why didn’t you think of it first?” Octavia teased, which made her dad blush. “Anyway, now we just need to set up a sting, and we got them dead to rights.”

“Are we going to ask Vaax to help us?” Moxxie asked.

“No, I don’t trust him. Besides, I wasn’t done with my plan,” Octavia said, smirking. “All we from Vaax is his outfit. I doubt these guys know what he really looks like with that mask and cloak, and lucky for us, we got an imp who is the exact same size as him.”

Everyone slowly turned to Moxxie, who looked at them one by one until his eyes lit up upon realizing what that meant. “Oh, no! I am not going to be going undercover! Not after what happened last time!”

***Last Time***

Of all the ideas that Blitzo had come up with for taking out at a target? This was by far the stupidest and insane one yet. Their clients had requested that they take out the leader of a doomsday cult they were once a part of and willingly sacrificed themselves in a ritual to help stop the apocalypse. Instead of finding themselves in heaven for their sacrifice, the seven of them found themselves in hell both for worshiping a man claiming to be Jesus, the murder of outsiders upon their ‘Eden,’ theft of goods, sacrilege against God, and suicide. Needless to say, they were pissed and wanted their revenge on the so-called “John Christ of Newcastle.” 

Moxxie had to roll his eyes. Seriously, like Jesus would ever do his second coming in Canada of all places.

For the past three days, he had been pretending to be a new disciple at the cult thanks to his disguise of a blond wig, makeup, red dress (With oranges inside for breasts), and high heels. He didn’t know why Blitzo wanted him to dress up like a woman, but that question was nothing compared to how the hell the humans still thought he was human. His disguise was barely hiding his demonic features, for crying out loud! 

“Or maybe the insanity has made them stupid as well,” Moxxie muttered as he continued to hull their latest food boxes from ‘generous’ donators at the town nearby. He placed them at the end of the warehouse, where he watched other members of his new “family” working getting the rest out.

That was until they all started bowing and praying as their “Savior” returned to check up on things. Moxxie, keeping up his part, began to worship the ground he walked on as well but kept a close eye on him. The bald cult leader, John Christ, as he called himself, was dressed in fancy blue and white robes while having one of the most enormous beards Moxxie had ever seen on a human face. He was fat too and walked around with a limb. How these idiots thought he was a savior was anyone's guess. 

“You there!” John Christ ordered as he pointed a finger at Moxxie.

Moxxie looked around before pointing at himself. “Me?”

“Yes, come with me at once! I have a special job for you,” John Christ ordered as he motioned for Moxxie to follow him. Moxxie nodded as he heard whispers from some of the other girls about how lucky he was to get a one-on-one session with the Savior.

Frankly, Moxxie didn’t care. He had been trying to get a moment alone with the guy for three days so he could finally kill him and get out of here, but he was always surrounded by others. Moxxie had no doubt he could take on a number of them single-handedly, but the problem with this cult is that it was around a hundred in number, and each of them was trained in firearms. Moxxie wasn’t stupid, and he knew his limits, but if he could kill this guy and get out, then all there would be no trouble at all.

They passed through the residential houses and arrived at the big fancy home their leader had all to himself. Entering the establishment, Moxxie realized this was the first time he had ever been here. It was filled with high-class furniture, paintings, and modern appliances that none of the other followers were allowed in their dorms. But of course, the _leader_ got all of it to himself.

Moxxie continued to follow the stupid human until they were in a large bedroom with a king-sized lavender bed with velvet sheets and pillows. He was about to ask what was going on when John Christ closed the door behind him and pressed play on a nearby remote. A speaker system started playing smooth jazz-like music as the fat human slowly began to take off his robe. “You know, my child, I’ve been noticing you a lot lately. You look so confused and nervous all the time.”

“Um, I...” Moxxie gulped and quickly put on his fake female voice. “I’m just...in awe...of all that you have built! You have truly...given us the path to salvation! My lord!” John Christ was now just in his pants and long shirt, but soon he took that off, making Moxxie slightly widen his eyes as he slowly backed towards the bed. “Um, sir?”

“Relax,” John Christ said as he tossed the shirt into the hamper while showing his hair covered oily body. “I just felt like you, and I can get to know each other first? I like to give my blessings to newcomers. Especially pretty ones like you.

Oh no.

Oh, **_HELL_ ** no.

“Um, sir, I think maybe we should-GAH!” Moxxie yelped as John Christ pushed him onto the bed and got on top. Grinning, he started to get closer to Moxxie’s face as the disgusted imp felt his stomach turning inside while sweating bullets. 

“Come on...don’t you want to have a little one on one with the Lord Almigh-” John Christ didn’t even get a chance to finish as Moxxie flipped out his pocket knife and slashed him in the throat. 

Gasping for air, John Christ tried to stop the bleeding with his hands, but Moxxie quickly stabbed him two more times in the chest and once in the balls. John Christ weakly fell to the floor before his loss of blood caused him to faint, and a few minutes later, he breathed his last. Moxxie sighed in relief before taking off his wig and giving the dead asshole a good kick in the face. 

“Well, now that I’ve been scarred for life, time to-” Moxxie froze as the door opened. Slowly, he turned around and saw a shocked and pale female member of the group just stared at the scene before her. With a nervous smile, Moxxie raised his hand and said, “Um, Praise the Lord?”

_“DEMON!!!!!!”_

Without a second to spare, Moxxie smashed through the window and ran for his life as the entire camp went out on full alert.

***Present***

“And the only reason I was able to escape was that I was too short for them to shoot at!” Moxxie yelled as he took a drink from Reginald, who was holding a tray of bourbon shots. "I'm just lucky that Blitzo had the sense to bring the heavy machine guns to mow those zealots down when I reached the safe zone!"

“Come on, Mox,” Millie said, putting a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “You’re the only one who's the right size! Besides, we’re doing this for Blitzo!”

“I don’t care! I am not going to go undercover!”

***Later***

“I can’t believe I am going undercover,” Moxxie muttered to himself as he stood in the freezing rain, dressed in Vaax’s clothing. The mercenary imp was upset that he had his clothes taken away, but Stolas reminded him that he could lose his life instead if he wanted. That caused the imp to shut up quickly.

_“Relax, Moxxie,”_ Grimbeak said on the radio. _“We’re all positioned here ready to spring into action the moment we’re ready. Just stay calm. You’ll do fine.”_

_“Don’t worry, Moxxie,”_ Millie said on the other line. _“I’m right here for ya. So don’t worry.”_

Moxxie sighed and shook his head. Blitzo was going to need to give him one hell of a raise to make up for all this. He still didn’t like this idea and knew something terrible was going to happen. 

He rechecked his surroundings. The warehouse district was creepy at night, with all the storage units closed and unlit. Some of the machines used to move stuff were silent but hulking around like monsters. The only thing making this worse was all the rain, but at least it wasn’t acid rain. 

_“I got eyes on five motorcycles coming in from the east.”_

_“Copy that. Look alive, everyone.”_

Moxxie soon heard the motors' sounds soon enough as he turned around to see five sets of lights coming in his direction. A few minutes later, five bikes with wolf-like heads for the front and flames on the back stopped a few feet away from him before their passengers disembarked. They were all hellhounds, just like Loona, but that was where the similarities end. For one, they were an extra foot higher than his co-worker and were red-furred instead of silver. Each of them had tattoos on their limbs, chests, and heads with their hair spiked. Their leader, however, had dreadlocks instead and looked twice as tough as the rest of the gang. They wore your typical biker gear jackets and pants with patches that ranged from a screaming devil face with fangs and a snake tongue to an upside-down cross with an angel nailed to it naked and screaming as the flames engulfed it.

“Vaax,” the group leader said as he stepped forward with a black briefcase in his claw.

Moxxie gulped but did his best to stay calm. Thankfully, Vaax’s mask came with a voice modulator, so he didn’t need to worry about sounding different. “Good to see you. Got my money?”

“You get new horns? They look different,” the leader said, pointing them out.

“I tend to change my horns. Helps keep my identity hidden from my enemies.”

_“Smooth response, Mox.”_

“Speaking of enemies,” the leader said, walking forward slowly, “my employer wants to know how the members of I.M.P knew it was you that helped take their boss?”

“They picked me out of a photo on the guy’s Voxagram account,” Moxxie answered, truthfully. “They captured me thinking I could tell them where he was. I managed to get them to believe that I was after a different target. The other mercenary you hired, Yima?”

“Right, her.” The hellhound leader took out a cigarette and started to light it. “Do they know anything?”

“No, they’re clueless. They haven’t even gone to that demon prince that Blitzo sleeps with. I think they’re afraid of retribution for losing him,” Moxxie lied, as he got closer as well.

“Hmm, I guess so far everything is working out,” the leader said as he held out the briefcase. “Here’s your cash. I suggest you take it and get out of Imp City for a while.”

“Show me the money first,” Moxxie said, knowing he had to keep playing his role.

“What you don’t trust me?” 

“In my line of work? You trust nobody,” Moxxie replied.

The hellhound snorted before slowly opening the briefcase to reveal it full of cold hard cash. Nodding Moxxie accepted the suitcase. “A pleasure doing business with you, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t accept another job from you.”

“Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing.”

Before Moxxie could respond, the hellhound pulled out a hidden pistol behind his back and aimed it right at Moxxie’s face. He heard Millie scream his name before a shot rang out, and he felt his head landed hard on the pavement. 

Then everything went dark. 


	8. The Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Millie loses control upon seeing Moxxie shot. The name of the kidnapper is finally revealed.

The moment she heard the gunshot and saw her husband go down, Millie felt the world shatter around her. His limb body just lay there in the cold rain as the shooter just looked at him with a snarl before spitting on it. Before she knew it, Millie screamed in rage while jumping out of her hiding spot. 

All she could think about in those short moments in her fall were the memories of her times with Moxxie. Millie had always been seen as weird, insane, and even childish by those in her life. It was Moxxie who saw someone different. He saw a lovely angel of death that had been his strength to be better than he was. Despite her weirdness, Moxxie saw an imp who he believed was a kind and loving woman that sparked his heart aflame. A love he wanted to spend the rest of his years with. Nobody had ever been like that with her. They either kept her at a distance, used her for only her skills, or were one night stands who wanted to be with the “crazy chick.” Moxxie didn’t want either of those things. What he wanted the “real” Millie that lay deep inside. That desire led Millie to truly open her up to someone for the first time as a friend, who later becomes her lover, and then her husband. Every day she remembered their wedding vow to be there for each other through thick and thin. That vow was now broken thanks to the _animals_ below her. 

Animals that she was going to **_slaughter._ **

Millie aimed herself towards one of the hellhounds who looked up to see death heading straight for him. Her spear went straight into his shocked face before she pierced him straight into the pavement. His blood splattered all over her face, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t enough. They shot him. They shot the only imp she ever loved and could ever love.

The one imp who had given her something that she treasured above all else. Love. They took that away from her. They took Millie’s “Love” away.

Taking out the shotgun she brought, Millie turned to the nearest hellhound and fired into his gut before he could react with his own weapon. The blast sent him flying into his motorcycle, but he was still alive despite his intestine coming out of his stomach. Millie wasted no time rushing up to the hellhound’s face, tears in her eyes, and stared at his frightened and pleading face. But all she could see was her sweet Moxxie smiling. A smile she would never see again. 

She pulled the trigger twice to make his head explode in a burst of bone and brain matter. She turned around, screaming to kill more of them, but found two of them already dead from multiple bullet wounds, and the leader- _the fucker who did it_ -was on the ground with the shadow guards already on top of him. He was cursing up a storm, but that ended when Millie put the shotgun in his face and made him whimper.

“Millie! Stand down!” Grimbeak ordered.

“ **_No! He killed Mox! HE KILLED MY MOXXIE!”_ ** Millie shouted with tears in her eyes as she prepared to squeeze the trigger. **_“I’LL KILL HIM!”_ **

“He’s not dead!”

In that split second, she froze. The sentence echoed in her head; she slowly turned to Grimbeak, who held the body of her supposedly alive husband. Taking the mask off, Millie saw that her husband was still breathing but unconscious. 

_“Moxxie!”_ Millie screamed, dropping the shotgun. She rushed over to him and nuzzled his warm face. “On, Moxxie! Moxxie!”

“Uh, what?” Moxxie muttered, slowly waking up. She looked deep into those big beautiful warm eyes that she thought she’d never see again and kissed him so hard he nearly lurched back. “M-Millie? Wait...I’m alive?!”

“The mask saved you,” Grimbeak said as he held it up, showing the bullet stuck in the forehead. “Looks like it's made out of something bulletproof. You’re quite lucky, Moxxie.”

“...I hate going undercover,” Moxxie whimpered before his eyes rolled behind his head and fainted. 

Millie just hugged him and felt her tears return, only this time in relief instead of sorrow. “It’s okay, Moxxie. Just rest. I won’t leave you.”

Grimbeak started giving out orders for them to hide the bodies and take their prisoner with them, but Millie didn’t care. All she cared about was right here in her arms. Still with her now and forever.

***

Stolas was relieved when he heard that Moxxie was going to be okay. He just had a small concussion that was easy to heal with magic and just needed rest. Stolas knew there was a risk to this plan, and the fact that luck had prevented it from becoming a disaster only made the prince more determined to get the right information this time. 

He didn’t want to waste time bringing the captured hellhound to his dungeon, so he ordered Grimbeak to keep him held up in one of the warehouses while he teleported there. He used a portal to send Millie and Moxxie to his home so the latter could be cared for while Loona and Octavia waited with them. His darling daughter was in near tears upon hearing what happened. After all, it had been her idea, and the thought that Moxxie nearly died from it terrified her.

He made a note to talk to his daughter after this, but he needed to focus for now. Time was not on their side, and he needed to know where Blitzo was or at least who was the mastermind behind his kidnapping. Stolas was growing more and more worried by the second based on the clues he had: They knew of the _Grimoire of Worlds_ and wanted it, they knew of his relationship with Blitzo, they had Angel Blades, were rich, and had high contacts for mercenary work.

More and more, Stolas was worried that this so-called “kidnapper” was higher up the food chain than he realized. Maybe even in Lucifer’s personal court. Prince Stolas had many enemies there, and he knew that if he didn’t play this carefully, it wouldn’t just be the end of his Blitzy, but the end of his family as well.

Arriving at the warehouse via a portal, Prince Stolas saw the hellhound leader tied up and watched under heavy guard, with Grimbeak nodding to him upon his arrival. The hellhound froze up upon seeing Stolas walk in as his demonic aura started to spread all over the place. Stolas' frustration and anger were no longer in check as his wings spread out while becoming lit with flames. His eyes, crimson and glowing with power, glared at the whimpering hellhound who had become a pup under his gaze.

With his right claw glowing with a purple and black aura, Stolas slammed it straight into the chest of the hellhound. It went through like butter, but no wound or blood was spewing out upon entering it. The dog demon gasped as he felt Stolas’s talons grip his heart and started choking out blood when the owl prince squeezed it for a brief second.

**_“You know what that is?”_ ** Prince Stolas asked, whispering sinisterly into the hellhound’s ear. **_“That is your heart. With just a simple squeeze, I can crush it and make you choke on your own blood. Or I could go for your lungs.”_ ** He moved his hand and felt the organ, which made the hellhound start crying. **_“Or your liver. Your stomach. Spine. I can even make your balls come out. I can crush them. Move them. Manipulate them into shapes so uncomfortable you’ll beg for death. I can do all of this and more, dog.”_ **

A foul smell coming from the hellhound’s pants made some of the guards look at him in disgust, but Stolas didn’t care. “P-Please...”

**_“There are only two questions I want to be answered from you, or else I’m going to spend the next few hours making you my bitch,”_ ** Stolas growled. **_“Where. Is. Blitzo!”_ **

“I...I don’t know...” The hellhound muttered. “My...my employer never told meEEEEAAAAAAH!” 

Stolas continued to hold onto the hellhound’s spine for a few more minutes, squeezing it so hard they were ready to break in two until he let go. **_“Next wrong answer will have me rip it out of your ass! NOW TELL ME THEIR NAME!”_ **

And then he screamed it.

He screamed it so loud it echoed across the warehouse and made everyone just stare at the hellhound. Stolas' power faded from the sheer shock of what he had heard. His wings returned to normal as he slowly removed his hand from the crying hellhound’s chest. He stared at him, coming to terms with what he had just heard, and wondered if it was the truth. Stolas demanded the name again, and he heard it shouted a second time. 

The Prince tried to sense if the hellhound was lying, but he wasn’t. He swore to Satan he was telling the truth, and Stolas believed him. At that moment, Stolas felt his heart break into two. His soul screamed in pain upon this revelation. This...this act of utter betrayal. 

Summoning power into his claw, Stolas grabbed the hellhound by the neck and ripped off his head. He dropped the decapitated head and spine onto the floor as his guard stood there in silence. Grimbeak slowly walked towards his master and placed his claw on Prince Stolas. “Sir...are you alright?”

“...No, Grimbeak,” Prince Stolas whispered as his eyes began to mist. “I’m not.”

***

Octavia had never felt more guilty in all her life. She was sure her plan was going to work, but she failed to take into consideration that the hellhounds would try to backstab the one threatening them at the last second. It was such an obvious play that Octavia kicked herself for not thinking of it. 

Such a mistake nearly caused Moxxie to lose his life, and Millie almost became a widow. She might not have been close to the couple like she was with Loona, but they were still part of her friend’s family (even if the hellhound would never admit it) and innocent in all of this. Which was why she continued to apologize to all of them until Loona finally told her to shut up.

“Look, we get it! You're sorry!” Loona said, rolling her eyes. “Look, Moxxie isn’t dead. Despite being a wimp, he’s a very lucky SOB that always manages to come up on top when it matters, and things worked out, didn’t it?”

“But I-”

“Princess Octavia,” Moxxie said, slowly getting up from his hospital bed. “I don’t blame you for what happened. Despite my earlier protests, I still did this of my own choice in the end. However,” Moxxie glared at both Millie and Loona, “next time? I am **_NOT_ **going to go undercover again.”

“Sweetie, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want ever again!” Millie said, hugging her husband around his neck. She nuzzled him for a bit before kissing him on the cheek. “As long as you stay with me, I’ll let you do whatever you want.”

“Aw, Millie,” Moxxie whispered as he kissed her back. “You know I’ll never leave you.”

“Millie...I...” Octavia was halted by Millie, who held up her hand.

“Octavia, stop. Crying and worrying isn’t going to help anyone. The point is that Mox is okay, and we got the son of a bitch who sold the boss,” Millie said, smiling. “Let’s just count our blessings and not worry about what-ifs.”

Octavia nodded before noticing her father arriving at the Hospital Wing's door. “Hey, Dad. Did you get anything...from...”

The look in her father’s eyes made Octavia stare in shock. He looked like he had all the life sucked out of him and his eyes were nothing but voids. The once dark red glow they had was dull and near black while his wings and fail sagged against the ground. She wasn’t the only one to notice as she turned to the I.M.P crew and saw that they were also confused.

“Dad?”

“I...I found the name...” He whispered, but instead of triumph, his tone was one of despair. 

“W-Well, that’s good, right?” Moxxie said, nervously smiling. “That means we can rescue the boss!” 

Prince Stolas wasn’t enthusiastic. In fact, he looked downright terribly. Octavia walked over to her father, her eyes filled with concern. “Dad? What’s wrong.”

Her father looked at her, and she could see tears starting to form out of the corner of all four eyes. Suddenly, he hugged her and wrapped his wing around her. “Octavia...I’m so sorry...I’m so so sorry...”

“D-Dad?” Octavia’s eyes widened as she gulped. “W-Who...who is...”

“...It’s Stella...” Prince Stolas said with a heavy sigh. “It’s...your mother.”

Mother.

Her mother?

No, it can’t be. Her mother could be strict, and she didn’t like imps and other lower-class demons, but surely she wouldn't do this. She wouldn’t hurt her father like this or her daughter. No, it couldn’t be true!

“N-No,” Octavia said, slowly backing away. “Y-you’re lying! Or the dog is lying! _It can’t be her!_ ”

“Octavia,” Prince Stolas whispered as he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, but he was telling the truth.”

Octavia wanted to scream that her father was being fooled, but then the clues began to hit her. Who could have known that her father was using the book and what it did? Who else in her family knew that I.M.P was using it? Who else had the money and connections to hire Vaax, the hellhounds, and earn the loyalty of the tengu due to her ancient bloodline? How many times had her mother disapproved of her hanging out with Loona and her other friends, all of whom were seen as lower class demons? Not to mention how her parents argued numerous times over his attraction to Blitzo and her fears of their reputation ruined if it ever got out he slept with an imp. Octavia thought it was a stupid fight considering her mother slept with others as well, but did she really hate Blitzo that much?

Her thoughts then turned to her mother’s family. Her grandfather was the Fallen Angel, Malphas, who she never met due to his death years ago at the hands of Angels, but his Angel Blade was a family heirloom. Her grandmother and uncle never once hid their disgust about her father’s generous dealings with the lower level demons. It was why he rarely ever tried to deal with them. While her mother had always looked down upon the lower class, her Uncle and Grandmother saw them as utter scum. It was why she tried avoiding visiting them altogether. Were they involved? Did they take part in this? 

The more and more she thought about it, the more the pieces fell together. It was her mother. Her mother did this. She hurt Blitzo. She hurt Loona. She hurt their family.

Unable to deny it any longer, Octavia fell into her father’s arms and wept. Her heart screaming in anger and shame over her mother’s actions. The two owl demons held each other as their cries echoed across the mansion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as I know, Stolas's wife doesn't have a canon name so I gave her one. Once her real name is revealed I intend to change it.


	9. The Suffering (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten Days ago, Blitzo woke up to find himself in a dungeon before being tortured and abused with his jailers demanding the book. He later learns why they need it and realizes just how horrible it would be if they did.

***Ten Days Ago***

When Blitzo felt his mind coming to, he wondered how much he had to drink and if he ended up naked in Moxxie’s bathroom again. It was hilarious to see Moxxie’s expression when he came in to take his morning shower that day. It was not so hilarious when his employee tried to fry his red ass with a toaster while still in the bath. The first thing he felt was chains wrapped up around his wrist and ankles. When he opened his eyes, Blitzo looked around and saw that he was in some kind of weird medieval-like dungeon with his hands and feet bound to the wall. He struggled to get out of them for fifteen minutes before giving up. 

“Great, now what did I do?” Blitzo muttered as he tried remembering what happened. “Let’s see we completed the job. Moxxie acted like a pussy because of some dogs. I went to get a shake for Loona and me? And...huh, that's it.”

There wasn’t anything else after that—just a sense of feeling tired and then nothing. Looking around, Biltzo tried to make sense of what was going on until the door to his cell opened up, and three heavily armed samurai-like demons walked in with their claws on their katanas. They were giant red-eyed creatures with bald heads, raven appendages such as wings and talons but had the faces of crimson skinned men. They had prayer beads with tiny skulls on them around their necks, and the funniest part of them was their long red noses. Seriously, he had seen clowns with less silly faces than this.

Blitzo’s first thought was that these were Stolas’ guards, and he was doing some kind of bondage thing to get his owl dick hard, but the imp quickly ruled that out. Having known the demon prince for over two and a half years now, Blitzo quickly didn’t recognize them as such. He couldn't recall seeing them wielding samurai armor around like some of those Kurosawa films he saw. 

Something was wrong with all of this, and Blitzo needed to find out information ASAP if he was going to figure out a way out of here. “So fellas, I’m into kinky shit and all that, but usually I like to have my dates buy me a drink first? Tell you what, let me go, and I’ll take us to a pretty good bar. Then we have a foursome, wake up with hangovers, and we never speak of this again? Sounds good?”

The raven samurai didn’t even address him. They just stared out straight in front of them without a sound. 

“Uh, hello? The handsome imp in chains is talking here. You guys both ugly and deaf?” Blitzo asked again. He grinned upon getting no response. “Well, if you want to listen to me talk until I can’t breathe, I’d be happy to do so! So there was this one time where I was on the highway-”

***2 Hours Later***

“-and that’s why you should never try to make a grilled cheese sandwich with a succubus in the restaurant! Especially ones who cums like a waterfall when she gets even the faintest whiff of mozzarella!” 

His smile quickly turned into a frown as the three samurai shits still stood there without moving a muscle. “Christ, even Moxxie would have laughed at that one. You guys are like talking to fricken statues!”

The door opened again, which caused the raven warriors to finally move by leaving one by one. Replacing them were two owl demons that Blitzo didn’t recognize. One was black-feathered with a blue crest, while the other was dark brown-feathered with black dots at the tips. Both were wearing white t-shirts and jeans, but Blitzo could see that these two were packed from the muscles they had. Not that Blitzo felt any attraction to them. Way too, beefy. He liked his owl demons thinner and smooth.

“Well, let’s hope you dumb fucks are a lot more talkative than the three silent shitheads we had,” Blitzo said. He was about to continue when the dark brown feathered one punched him in the face. Blitzo felt spit come out of his mouth and shook his head. “Ow! What the fuck was that for?!”

“Where is the book?” the black-feathered one said with an eastern European accent. 

“What book?!” Blitzo demanded before getting punched in the face again. “Fuck! I think I chipped a tooth.”

“Where is the book?” the brown feathered one asked, stepping forward. 

“Up your asshole!” Blitzo screamed before he got another punch to the face, then one to the gut. The brown feathered demon then took him by the throat and smashed him against the wall. “F-fuck!” 

“Where is the book that you use to travel to the human world,” the black-feathered one demanded.

How the **_fuck_ **did they know about that?! Only a few demons knew they used that, and he was pretty sure none of them would be hiring these jackasses to hurt him. Now Blitzo was really beginning to see his situation, and his heart was starting to race. “I don’t know what you are talking about! We get to the human world by a ritual I found! But if it's a book you guys want, I hear the Bible can get you saved!” 

The blows returned, and they continued with each denial Blitzo spat out. He had taken beatings before. It came with his job territory, but he never took one that lasted as long as it did. They didn't hold back, hurting him in any place from his horns to his balls. They used their fists, their feet, talons, and more. 

By the time it was over, Blitzo could barely feel anything but numbness from the beating. His entire body was unable to respond to his nervous system moving. Slowly, he lifted his head and gave a weak, bleeding smile. "Over...already? I was...just getting...started..."

He then closed his eyes and passed out.

***Eight Days Ago***

The sounds of fists hitting flesh echoed in the dungeon hallway. Blitzo would have kept cursing, but yesterday they had damaged his teeth and mouth so hard that he was spitting out blood. His right eyes had a black shiner, so he couldn't see very well, and he was pretty sure his nose was broken. If that wasn’t enough, he was getting significant pains in his chest to the point where breathing was a bitch.

The black-feathered owl demon, which he decided to name Bob while the other named Steve, shoved his knee into Blitzo’s pelvis again, making the imp coughing out more saliva. Gasping for air, Blitzo coughed up a few times before hacking out another spat of blood. There was a pool of the stuff that had been forming under him for the last two days. It was always the same: beat him up, demand answers, tell them to go fuck themselves, more abuse, then some dirty rotten slop and water for lunch before a few more hours of pain. Even Blitzo was surprised that he had lasted this long without pleading for mercy.

“Come on...guys...I think my kidneys...need another...g-g-good wack...” Blitzo teased with a bloody smile that showed his missing teeth. “Or do you want to...suck my dick...instead of hitting it...cause let me tell you...I know an owl demon who isn’t going to be happy when he finds out what you shitheads have done.”

The two owl demons looked at each other before spitting in Blitzo’s face and left him alone. One of them snapped his finger, and the chains quickly came off, allowing Blitzo to fall face-first into the ground. He struggled to get up, but every part of his body was aching, and he fell back down a few seconds later. Cursing, the imp looked up and saw the door locked in front of him, followed by a magic seal that placed itself over the door.

“Great...magic...,” Blitzo cursed as he slowly leaned against the wall. “Well...fuck...”

He quickly checked clothing to see if any of his gear was on him, but nothing. Not even his toy horse. “Bastards better not hurt Mr. Sparkles,” Blitzo muttered as he closed his eyes. He had to focus on his situation. This wasn’t the first time he found himself trapped as a prisoner, but things were grimmer than usual. 

Blitzo had no idea where he was, who these assholes were, who they were working for, and how they knew he had Stolas’ book. He first thought about the demons that were beating his bruised ass was these weren't the typical scum you see in Imp City. He didn’t recognize the raven looking ones at first, but then it clicked on him: tengu. They belonged to those Yokai types full-on eastern origin demons who usually stuck around their own kind in the province of hell known as Naraka. From what he remembered, the tengu was known for being an honorable set of demons who served whatever master was worthy in their eyes, usually from a powerful bloodline or family. No matter what the order was, they would do it without hesitation, and they were skilled fighters as well. Meaning that the ones who had these guys had to be rich and powerful.

The other owl-like demons were obviously Goetia demons, but it was apparent they weren’t the mastermind behind his kidnapping. In Blitzo’s experience, those fancy rich people didn’t get their hands dirty if they could get their helpers to do it for them.

Obviously, they captured him because they wanted the _Grimoire of Worlds._ For what reason, he didn’t know, but considering how powerful it was, it could be anything. After Stolas explained to him _just_ how powerful that thing was, he quickly learned how to hide it in a safe enough place where only he and Loona could access it. Regardless, he still wouldn’t tell them where it was. Not just because Blitzo knew they would kill him as soon as he told them what they wanted, but because of the risk.

If it was known that a mere imp, regardless of how awesome he was, had been using the Grimoire that Stolas had been entrusted to use to keep Hell in balance with other worlds, it would be shit up a creek for them all. Not just for him and his daughter, but Millie and Moxxie as well. Not to mention Stolas and his family would get fucked too. He hated to admit it, but he had really started seeing Stolas as a close friend ever since they started their little deal. Sure, first it was just about the sex so he could keep the book, but slowly something was beginning to form between them. He didn’t know what they were now, but both had done favors for each other and started hanging out more outside of their usual monthly meetings. Plus, his daughter and Octavia had become best friends, something Loony really needed after what those assholes of a pack did to her.

No, he couldn’t put Stolas and his family in trouble.

“Damnit, I just gotta hope the gang knows I’m gone and is looking for me,” Blitzo muttered as he closed his eyes. Maybe after he got some sleep, his head would clear up.

That sleep was short-lived as the door slammed open and Blitzo saw Bob and Steve returning with rods in their claws. Blitzo was about to comment when his eyes lit up upon seeing the rods pulse with electricity.

“Ah, crap...”

***Five Days Ago***

“GAAAAAAAHHH!” Blitzo screamed as he felt the volts of electricity warp through his body. It had been like this for three days now. They were still beating him, but now they were doing it with brass knuckles, lead pipes, crowbars, and iron tip combat boots. His entire body was sore and lumps appeared all over his chest, back, and face, but that was nothing compared to the shock treatment. Be it from rods, car batteries, or even magic staffs, they kept shocking him with magic over and over again to the point where parts of his skin were turning black from the heat.

Blitzo continued to scream until Bob lowered the magic rod. Gasping and doing his best not to cry again, Blitzo tried to breathe as much air as he could, but the smell of his rotting flesh both inside and out made him throw up. 

He looked to the white-feathered owl in a robe who was just staring at him. After his first experience in what it was like to be a Texas barbeque brisket, Bob and Steve brought some owl lady who he named “Bitch” because she looked at him in disgust before healing him with magic. He heard her say that she felt unclean upon touching a filthy disgusting imp like him with her talons, so calling her name felt fitting.

However, Bitch didn’t move, so that meant no healing yet. It was like they just wanted to keep him alive as much as possible without wasting the effort in really helping him. 

Steve grabbed Blitzo by the neck and lifted his head up. At this point, Blitzo could only see out of his one right eye as the scowling owl demon hooted at him. “Listen, you scumbag. This will all end if you stop being a stubborn piece of shit and just tell us where the book is!”

“...alright,” Blitzo gasped as he took in a deep breath. “I’ll tell you.”

Steve let go as he narrowed his eyes. “Talk.”

“I...I lend it to a guy...he has it until I need it...” Blitzo muttered before spitting out more blood. 

“What’s his name?”

“Kris. His name’s Kris...he’s a very old looking guy with a white beard and everything.” Blitzo chuckled before he raised his head and gave a weak grin. It hurt his bleeding mouth to do so, but he didn’t care. “He’s very...very fat...cause of all those cookies...and he wears a big...red...suit.”

The two owl demons stared at each other before slowly turning to Blitzo, who just chuckled at them. “Get...it? Kris...Kris Kringle?! Santa Claus?!” 

Their response was a crowbar right into his skull.

***Three Days Ago***

Holy shit.

Was he alive?

He had to be because he had the worst killer headache right now, along with everything else painfully imaginable. Blitzo slowly opened his eyes only to feel it too agonizing to open even those. He seriously thought he was dead those few moments he had been conscious before everything went black. How the fuck does one survive a crowbar to the skull unless it's a fucking miracle?

Despite the severe suffering, Blizo was able to open his eyes and found himself strapped to some kind of bed with a breather mask on him. Medical equipment was around his bed with an IV and other gear connected to his body like a pulse sensor. The place he was in was quite fancy, reminding Blitzo of Stolas’ Hospital Wing in his palace. 

While his senses slowly began to return, he could tell he wasn’t alone in the room as a high pitched eastern European accent began shouting in the air. “I said I was sorry! I’ll have them disciplined before they continue their work!”

Then a voice spoke following it, only the sound of it was deep, powerful, and made Blitzo’s spine shiver. His gut was warning him that the one who started speaking now was one _the_ most powerful person in this room, and you didn’t want to _fuck_ with him.

_“You have had him for over a week now, and you’ve produced no results. His co-workers at his company are looking for him and are getting more and more worried. It’s only a matter of time before they bring Prince Stolas into this and start realizing that someone took him,”_ the voice said. _“_ _If he cannot give us the book, then we must bring the book to us. Use him in exchange for the grimoire. But first, we need to weaken his resolve. Break him mentally and physically.”_

Shit. They were thinking of using him as ransom. Much as Blitzo hated to admit it, he was reaching his limit. It wasn’t just the torture, hunger, thirst, and lack of sleep that was getting too much to handle. It was the loneliness also. Every night he went to sleep on the cold floor, tired, hungry, and hurt without Loona there beside him. He’d give anything to hear her yell at him for doing something stupid. Or for Moxxie and Millie to act all adorable around him like the lovesick puppies they were. Hell, even a call from Stolas would be music to his ears. 

He wanted to get home. He needed to get home.

“I still don’t understand what you and mother are planning to do. She hasn’t told me or my sister what’s really going on. Especially her. I don’t think she’d agree if she knew,” the whiny bitchy sounding voice said. “But I still want to know. How do you intend to destroy half of Hell’s population with that book?!”

...What?

_No, seriously, what?!_

**_WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY PLANNING ON DOING?!_ **

For the first time in a long time, Blitzo couldn’t think of anything to say or do. The very sentence seemed ludicrous, and yet he heard it clear as day. Destroy half of Hell’s population?! Not even the Angels did that on Extermination Day! Not even _God or Lucifer_ would allow something like that to happen. He just sat there listening to two powerful beings talking about destroying billions of living souls in his home like it was a chore to do.

_“The Grimoire of Worlds has many powerful spells and rituals inside of it, but one of the most dangerous and deadly is known as the Dimension of Utter Destruction Spell. It can create a portal as small as a nail or as big as a continent and use it to swallow whatever is in its radius up like a black hole. Anything that enters the dimension is trapped inside it. Once the spell is ended, anything left inside is instantly destroyed. Even their very souls are obliterated into nothing.”_ Blitzo was pretty sure he was close to shitting his pants at the thought. _“Imagine the cities of the lesser born demons and sinners rotting like the filth they are. Cities like Imp City, Cannibal Colony, Succuvale, New Detroit, The City of Dis, the various Hellhound Reservations, and so forth. All home to the imps, goblins, hellbats, lower-ranked hellhounds, fouls, demonoids, tieflings, and sinners who waste their time as whores, thieves, beggars, and criminals. Every single one of them breeds like rats and is half the reason why Hell is overpopulated as it is. If they were all to be wiped out? Gone? Hell would not only be so much better off with that scum erased from existence, but it would also be a lot emptier. And if the population was finally culled to a level that Heaven found suitable...”_

“The Exterminations would stop...we...would be declared heroes!” The bitchy voice said with enthusiasm. “What we’re doing...it's for the benefit of Hell!”

The benefit of Hell? Through genocide? To see his entire people wiped out of existence and ended without single care? To see Loona, his daughter, have her life ended so soon before she could really live it? To not find her own personal happiness on her own? To see Moxxie and Millie, the closest thing he had to friends left in this world, obliterated for the crime of being born? Especially since he knew the two had been trying very hard to have a family. Blitzo was a selfish jackass, he would never deny that he was that, but he was not a fucking heartless monster who didn’t care for those around him. 

Loona was the daughter he loved and treasured ever since he first saw her. The one who saved him from himself when he needed it most. He would burn the world to keep her safe and make her smile happily, no matter the cost.

Moxxie was, despite what most thought, his best friend in Blitzo’s mind. He busted his balls and made fun of him all the time, but the shorter imp had a moral compass that, deep down, Blitzo respected. He trusted Moxxie, even if he never really acted like it. 

Millie was loyal to him because he helped her out of a bad spot. He gave her a purpose in her life, which led to her finding the love of her life. She never once stopped putting her faith in Blitzo, and it warmed his heart to have someone believe in him that much.

They weren’t just people he worked with. They were his family. 

_And you never give up on family._

No, he couldn’t let these sick and twisted motherfuckers have the book happen. 

_“Then you won’t mind if I handle the matter of breaking our friend here? Especially since he’s awake?”_

Blitzo’s eyes widened, and he cursed, but before he could do anything, he soon felt himself get very sleepy and closed his eyes again. 

  
  
  



	10. The Suffering (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blitzo's suffering continues. Warning: Implied rape is in this chapter. Nothing graphic, but I am warning you all now.

***Three Days Ago***

A splash of water awoke Blitzo with a gasp as he looked around and saw himself back in the dungeon with Bob, Steve, and Bitch, the one who had thrown ice cold water on his naked body. Looking down, Blitzo saw that his clothes were now completely off, and he was butt naked as the day he was born. 

Remembering what he heard earlier, Blitzo tried to get up and take a break for the door, but his body quickly gave in, and he fell to his side in frustration. The injuries on his body were still too much for him to handle, and he had a bad feeling that things were only going to get worse. His fears were soon founded as Steve walked over to a desk that wasn’t there before and picked up a spiked whip with dried blood on it. Blitzo’s eyes widened as he was forced up by Bob, despite his struggles, and soon found himself facing the direction of the wall. A set of chains and locks from above quickly came down, and he was forced to lift his arms so he could be locked inside of them. 

Gasping, Blitzo soon found himself raised a few feet above the floor. The door soon opened, and Blitzo was forced to swing around where a cloaked figure in dark grey entered the room along with a tall fancy-dressed owl demon with green and white feathers. He was dressed in a blue suit with golden buttons while looking at Blitzo like you would at a disgusting bug. The cloaked figure, whose physical characteristics Blitzo couldn’t make, walked forward and stared at Blitzo from his shadowed hood.

_“You know, I always thought imps were cowardly creatures who have no honor or integrity. A selfish race that cares only for themselves and sides with whoever will protect them. You? I have some respect for the resistance you have shown.”_

“Thanks. Does this mean I win an Emmy?” Blitzo asked, struggling with his bonds.

The cloaked figure shook his head before turning to Bob and Steve. _“You just do what I told you to do. Break him apart until his body and will are shattered. But under no circumstances are you to kill him.”_

Bob and Steve nodded and bowed. The cloaked figure then turned to Blitzo. _“This is your last chance. Tell us where the book is or else, for the next three days, you will be in_ **_a real_ ** _hell.”_ Blitzo didn’t even hesitate to respond and just spat on his coat. The cloaked figure looked at the saliva, snorted, and turned around to leave with his owl demon companion. _“Have it your way.”_

Before Blitzo could respond, Bob forced him to turn around and face the stone wall. Five seconds later, the cracking of a whip echoed in the air before Blitzo felt its jagged blades enter deep into the flesh of his back. Blitzo was unable to hold his scream and began to curse shortly before another strike latched onto his back. 

The whip came down harder and harder with each blow, striking Blitzo from his back to his limbs. Even his rump wasn’t immune to its impacts. Blitzo felt his skin peeling off as blood flowed down his back and towards the ground. It was mixing with his tears that were cascading down his eyes without stopping.

He tried to think of something, anything, to block the pain. His daughter. His job. His family. Stolas. Moxxie and Millie. TV shows. Books. Movies. Horses. _Anything_ to help ignore the pain. 

Yet the pain was all he felt and could think about. The only thing he could hear was his own screaming and pleading to stop. But it never did.

***Two Days Ago***

Hell had never really been ‘hell’ for those born in it. Not really. It was customary to see suffering, pain, and bad luck happen to everyone around you. The strong survived. The weak were eaten. You had to always rise higher and higher, or else you were going to be the bitch who got fucked by someone else. Some humans learned this the hard way when they ended up in hell, others managed to fit right on it. Blitzo learned the truth about how Hell operated when he lost his entire family to someone stronger than them. He killed them all and left Blitzo as the sole survivor who only managed to escape thanks to luck. 

He swore to never be weak and lose anything again that day. He worked his way up on a slow climb but left a lot of bodies behind him on the way. Some innocent, if that word even existed in Hell, and some who deserved it. Some bodies were regrets, but others he wished he could kill again. Blitzo thought he had finally made it to a safe spot when he made I.M.P. He had allies, contacts, power, and the means to create an influence in everyday life. Everyone wanted revenge, especially against someone in the living world, or just wanted a human eliminated for their own personal gang. Stolas wasn’t the only powerful noble who hired him to kill a celebrity, politician, or activist that got in the way of their manipulations on earth. Everyone from the rich to the common used I.M.P. for their services, and life seemed to finally be going Blitzo's way despite constant financial issues.

Yet, Blitzo should have known. Hell always ends up fucking you over, and right now, Blitzo was in an all-new hell. He gasped weakly as another knife was shoved into his side. One so sharp it went into the rib bone. How he wasn’t dead yet, he didn’t know, but maybe it was all the drugs they put in his body if the syringes were anything to go by. The ones all over his chest, that is.

He was like a fucking pincushion with all the knives, shots, daggers, needles, and other pointy things in his body. The pool of blood that had been formed since day one of his living nightmare had increased its size by three times. Blitzo just wished he could take one of those daggers and slit his own throat to end this damned existence forced on him. Sadly, his bleeding wrists were still chained. If the suffering wasn’t enough, the female owl demon took pictures, which added humiliation to his predicament.

“...please...stop it...” Blitzo begged, his voice dry and hoarse. “In the name of...whatever the fuck...just stop.” 

“Tough shit,” Bob said as he went over to the table for another tool of torcher. “I’m actually starting to enjoy this. Shutting that fat mouth of yours.”

“Fuck...you...” Blitzo muttered as the blood dripped from his eyes. “You’re...sick...fucks...”

“Maybe I am, but who gives a shit,” Bob muttered as he lifted up a glowing white blade and whistled. “Sunfire Steel. Said to be almost as painful as real Angel Steel. What do you say we give it a shot?”

“N-no! No please!” Blitzo begged as Steve and Bitch forced him around. _“Just kill me already! I don’t want this anymore!_ _Stop!”_

Blitzo begged and wailed as he felt his body shaking with fear. It was like waiting for an executioner's blade, only you knew you were going to survive and suffer the agonizing pain. Seconds seemed like hours as Blitzo struggled to free himself, foaming in the mouth and pleading once again on deaf ears

Then it came...slowly.

Blitzo had never screamed so hard in all his life nor had ever felt such pain as this. It was like his entire back and being lit on fire while deadly poisonous ants were feasting on his flesh. His very bones were melting as the hot white knife slowly peeled off his back skin. He was screaming for help, but he couldn’t hear for who. The sound of his flesh burning and sizzling was too loud. Was he calling for his father? His sisters? Loona? Stolas? Satan, or God? Maybe even Jesus himself? He would take any or all of the above if it meant ending this.

Even when the knife went away, Blitzo just continued to lash out like it was there. His entire nervous system was on fire, and his brain felt ready to explode. At long last, he felt the locks come undone as his body fell into his own blood pool. He whimpered, feeling weak and pathetic, yet he didn’t care. He wanted to go home. He wanted his family. 

“Please...save me...anyone...save me...” Blitzo choked as he closed his eyes. 

“Let’s just end this,” He heard Steve say to the others. “He’s already been ruined.”

“Boss said to continue for the rest of the day.”

“N-no!” Blitzo shouted before he slowly began to crawl to them. “No more...will...do anything...”

“...Anything?” Bob asked with a sinister smirk. “Will you call me...Master?”

“Y-yes...” Blitzo wept as he lowered his head. “Y-yes master...”

“Will you kiss my feet?”

Blitzo saw a boot near his mouth, pushing his broken and teary-eyed face with a slight nudge. Blitzo gulped before taking his bleeding chapped lips and kissing the boot a few times before he was kicked back onto his side. Steve grinned as he leaned down while Blitzo just wrapped himself up with his arms. He tried to keep his teary-eyed face away from his jailers, but the owl demon forced him to with his cold and powerful talons. 

“Will you let me fuck you? Fuck you so hard you’ll bleed out of your asshole for weeks?”

“Ew, you want to fuck an imp?” Bitch asked, sticking her tongue out.

“Why not? If that Prince keeps him around for it, there must be something good to it, right?”

“I...I...I...” Blitzo couldn’t speak. He couldn’t say anything. His mind was telling him no and yes at the same time. One side said to survive no matter what, while the other said that he had his pride. He wanted to live, but was letting himself be used like this worth living? Was death just better? Or was he to continue to live with the pain? 

“I don’t...I...” Before Blitzo could finish, he felt the hot knife scream in the air and sliced right through his tail. 

The pain returned, and Blitzo screamed harder, yet in the cursing and pleading, he said one word...one word that caused him to finally break. He said “Yes.”

Blitzo felt himself die inside as he screamed it, withering into nothing as he was turned over with his ass in the air. His heart and soul shattered in pieces with each thrust into him.

When it was all done, he lay there in a feeble position while covered in a pool of his sweat, blood, tears, and cum. 

Just as they promised, they left him alone, and even healed him so he wouldn’t die, but it didn't matter if they weren't hurting him anymore.

Because everything now hurts both inside and out.

***Yesterday***

He didn’t sleep that night. Nor did he cry. He just lay there on the cold dirt, staring into the darkness without a wink. Even when a fly touched his face, he didn’t even react. He couldn’t feel it nor the pain around him. It was no longer cold or hot. There was no air or warmth—just the silence and darkness. 

He didn’t think or move, just stared and waited. Waited for another day of suffering. He tried to think of the days before it, but they were blank. There were faces and names he remembered, but they were blurs now. All he could see was just the shadows dancing in his tomb.

It was funny. Blitzo was breathing and still thinking, yet all he felt was dead inside. His body was nothing but a sack of ruined meat. His soul was crushed and violated, with scars still pulsing inside him. His brain was burned and silent, as was his heart, which could no longer weep. 

They were going to come back soon to have their way with him again. Yet, Blitzo didn’t care anymore. What was the point? He was powerless. A powerless imp with nothing. Not even pride.

The sound of the door opened, but Blitzo didn’t even bother turning. He just waited until he found himself being picked up by the arms. His head went limp as they dragged him out of the room, watching the stones pass as they dragged him to whatever fate awaited him. Maybe they were finally going to kill him? If so, that would be nothing but sweet relief. Or perhaps they just had something special planned for him? Didn’t they need him for something? Or for someone? It was just...such a blur.

Slowly, Blitzo raised his head as he looked at his carrier and found that they weren’t Bob or Steve or Bitch. It was some weird red nose bird looking guys with red faces. They looked like clowns.

Clowns. A circus. Didn’t he used to be part of a circus? 

No, he was part of a company. He had a family. Or two families?

There was a sharp ‘ding’ sound that nearly made Blitzo jump, but he relaxed when he saw a set of metal doors open. He hissed upon seeing a bright light pour into his eyes. Where were the shadows? What was this light? The strange raven demons slowly entered with Blitzo in their arms until one of them pressed a glowing button on the side of a panel. He felt the room raise itself up, and the word ‘elevator’ came to his mind. That’s right—an elevator.

But where were they going?

A few minutes later, another ‘ding’ and Blitzo nearly went blind by how bright it was, but he was even more amazed by where he was. It was so...bright and colorful—shades of red and blue decorations with marble columns. A living room of soft and comfy furniture with paintings of owl demons, expensive-looking vases, even a grand piano was there with someone playing on it. She was a silver feathered owl, old too by how her feathers were wrinkled along with her grey hair. She had a green set of wings and tail while dressed in an expensive white dress with pearls and diamond earrings.

The music she was playing was some of the sweetest sounds that Blitzo had heard in...how long had it been since his suffering began? The old owl demon saw them and ceased her playing before getting up. She walked over, poised and proud, before looking down at Blitzo with uncaring eyes. The same eyes as the other owl demons, but why could he remember a set of eyes that were of caring, concern, passion, and...love?

The images were becoming less blurry. People he should know. That he knew and cared about. Who were they?

“Well, how is he?” The old demoness asked.

“He hasn’t said or done anything since we got him. He appears to be suffering shock or some kind of mental breakdown, Lady Natasha,” one of the guards holding him said.

“Hmm, we need him defeated, but not too broken.” The one named Lady Natasha leaned down, and Blitzo focused on her talons, which were glowing green. “A small magical boost should help him.”

She placed a single one of her fingers on Blitzo’s head before he felt it split open. At first, there was pain, but then there was comfort. Like a warm wave of water, washing down every pour in his body. He closed his eyes and felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Utter peace.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw everything clearly without the dirt, blood, and tears to block everything. Blitzo felt like he could walk on his own two feet again and nearly did until he found himself being dragged by the...tengu. _The tengu!_ That’s what they were called.

Led by Lady Natasha, the tengu dragged the stunned Blitzo down a long red velvet hall where he saw other tengu positioned around in silence, but occasionally he also saw an owl demon dressed as a maid or butler. They looked at him, some with pity and others with disgust, but all Blitzo wanted to do was disappear. 

Disappear and go back to...his...family.

His family.

His eyes widened as the faces soon became clear in his mind. He remembered them! He remembered them all! He almost felt like crying, but he was sure that his eyes were dried up. It didn’t matter; his heart was weeping as he nearly cursed himself for forgetting the most important people in his life: Loona, his beloved daughter. Moxxie and Millie, his closest friends and co-workers. Stolas, his lover and supporter, along with that daughter of his who was Loona’s best friend. 

He had nearly forgotten them all. But where were they?! Did they get kidnapped too?! No, he remembered, it was just him. They got him, and were planning to do something with him. But what?! And where the fuck was he?!

Blitzo looked around the room to find a clue where he was being held, but then he saw the windows. For the first time in days, he saw the hellish sky of the underworld and felt his heart leap upon seeing it. He wished he could turn into a bird and fly away as far as possible. Or become a horse and ride across the black and red sandy desert with the hills so far away.

A Black and red sandy desert? That was unique. Didn’t most deserts have yellow sand? The only place that had that was...was...

The name came to Blitzo’s head as he slowly started to push his mind into focus. He knew the name, just at the tip of his tongue. He remembered because he had been here before. For a job? Vacation? Maybe, but it didn’t matter. Wait, this place had two names! One that was commonly known and one the locals named it. He couldn’t remember the former, but the latter called it... _Abaddon’s Corner._

That wasn’t too far from Imp City. About a day’s worth of traveling, actually. He was so close to home and yet so far away; it was mind-blowing to him. If only there was a way to let the others know where he was. 

His experience of being dragged around like a piece of trash soon ended when Lady Natasha opened a set of doors. Waiting for them were two more tengu guards, another owl demon, and a cloaked figure. Blitzo's memory hit him like a freight train about who these two were as memories of the cloaked one made him feel suddenly cold as an ice cube. Lady Natasha walked over to the other owl demon and kissed him on the cheek. “Is everything ready, Alexander?” 

“Yes,” Alexander said before looking at Blitzo with disdain. “I hope he’s willing to be cooperative to help us get that book.”

The book.

They needed the book in order to-

_“It doesn’t matter. Let’s make the call,”_ the cloaked figure said as the tengu forced Blitzo onto a seat in front of a small table that only had a phone in the center. The figure leaned closer to Blitzo’s face, and he swore he saw a soft glowing set of eyes underneath the dark hood. _“Listen here, imp. We are going to call your company and demand the Grimoire of Worlds. You will tell them to hand it over. Do this, and we will no longer hurt you, but if you don’t?_ **_Then your suffering will never end.”_ **

Blitzo gulped and nodded before staring into his scar covered hands while they made the call. Despite nearly pissing himself from hearing that bastard talk, Blitzo felt his mind divided once more. He knew what they wanted the book for, and he knew that if they got their hands on it, everything would be lost. Billions would die, and that included his family. How could he let that happen, even if it meant losing his life? But how long could he go on doing this? He was already so close to losing his mind, and what else did he have left? They broke his body, his spirit, and his pride. Was breaking his heart and mind worth it?

Blitzo closed his eyes and thought back to events that seemed so long ago. Beyond Moxxie screaming at him to be a better boss while Millie calmed him down. Past Loona’s disrespect and laziness at her job to the point of not caring. Through Stolas calling him and creeping him out for how much he wanted Blitzo in bed with him. And he ignored all the times hated himself for screwing up on the jobs or business deals that put the company always on the brink of being shut down.

Because beyond all that, there were good times. Times he never would trade for anything in Hell, Earth, or Heaven.

Memories such as the team all celebrating another kill and getting drunk with laughter. Moxxie and Millie right there beside him, side by side, taking down a mafia gang with guns ablaze while spitting out jokes like there was no tomorrow. Millie asking Blitzo for advice, in secret, on how he handled Loona as a kid, hinting at her desire to start a family with Moxxie soon. He could see Moxxie hugging him and calming him down as Blitzo breaks into tears after nearly sending him to his death on an Extermination Day. Blitzo could remember Loona and him going to the mall to have some quality time, get new clothes, see a movie, and have a few selfies of them pulling pranks on losers and geeks. The touch of Stolas as he gently loves Blitzo, whispering how much he cares about him. He could see the places and adventures they had in their meetings outside of the bedroom. The memory of his Loony and Octavia, singing karaoke on a daughter and father’s day out, as the two sing a song that puts both parents to tears. 

A small, determined smile stretched his lips. His choice was already made.

“Hey!” Blitzo opened his eyes as he slowly turned to the three jackasses who made his life a living hell the past few days. Alexander, the annoying screeching one, was glaring at him and hooting while pointing at the phone that the cloaked figure was holding. “Pick it up and talk to them. They want to know if you’re alive.”

Blitzo slowly took the phone and held his breath while pressing it against his ear. “H-Hello?”

_“Dad!”_ Loona shouted on the other end of the phone. He clutched his chest and smiled with tears upon hearing his daughter’s voice. It took him a moment to realize that she called him _"dad."_ She hadn’t said that often ever since the whole _"learning your parents left you to die"_ incident, but just hearing her say that now made him feel the happiest imp in the world. Like all his wounds and pain only healed by hearing that one single word. _“Are you okay?!”_

“L-Loony...s-sorry about not...getting that s-shake...daddy's...in a jam...” Blitzo said, doing his best to not cry but failed.

_“Idiot. Fuck the shake! Are you okay?!”_

He wanted to lie to her, but a few coughs came out of his throat. “...no...n-not really...” he answered before realizing this was his only chance to let Loona know where he was. “...it's almost as bad as that time at _Abaddons’ Corner_...remember?”

_“Abaddons’?”_ Loona asked, but before he could press her memory further, Moxxie interrupted.

_“Blitzo! Sir, I promise we’ll get you home!”_

Goddamnit, Moxxie! Why did he have to interrupt?! He looked at the cloaked figure, standing in the back, and Alexander and Lady Natasha, who was glaring at him. He looked at the tengu demons and wondered how many he could take down before they stopped or killed him. 

Well, he always wanted to go down fighting.

Slowly, Blitzo raised his fist and flipped the bird at the shocked birds. “Don’t give them the book.” Seeing the surprised expression on their faces made Blitzo grin right then and there.

_“But sir! Your life is more important than-”_

“No! Fuck my life! They cannot get the book! No matter fucking what! Moxxie, you give it to them, and I swear I will _-Gah!”_ The tengu demons were already on him before he could finish, “ _Get off me!”_

_“Sir!”_

_“Dad!”_

Blitzo slammed the phone in the face of one of the tengu before reaching for a dagger the bird samurai had around his waist. Getting in his grip, the assassin struck it down into the neck of one of the ravens before headbutting him. “Fuck you, you son of a- _GAH!”_ It hurt like hell to move, but Blitzo didn’t care. He jumped on top of the desk, the phone still in hand, as he kicked the face of a shocked Alexander, whose nose started bleeding. “Loona, I love you! I’m sorry I didn’t- _ugh_ -keep my promise!” He winced upon feeling his leg beginning to react to the kick before being dragged down by another of the tengu, but Blitzo played dirty.

He shoved his fingers into the eyes into the raven before punching him in the nose. “Moxxie and Millie, the business is yours! Look after my d-damnit!” BLitzo rolled away just as a katana was about to slice him in two. “Daughter!” He used what little energy he had left to keep dodging the blows. “Tell-Fuck, gah! Tells Stolas I-shit fuck! I did kinda liked him and-” 

BANG!

Blitzo gasped as he felt something strike his chest. Looking down, he saw a bullet hole in his lower waist before his eyes rolled back, and he fell down. Collapsing, he started coughing up blood while doing his best to keep his eyes open.

_“Get him healed,”_ the cloaked figures said as he put away a gun that Blitzo couldn’t see very clearly, but it was big and had glowing white runes on it. 

“Are you fucking crazy! He just broke my nose, and you want him healed after shooting him?!” Alexander cried out as he held his bleeding face.

_“I warned him he would face dire consequences if he didn’t listen, and I aim to make him feel that warning,”_ the cloaked figure said as he slowly picked up the phone and continued to talk into it. 

Blitzo just coughed up more blood before passing out.

***Present Day***

“Blitzo! Blitzo!” A worried voice cried out. It sounded so familiar too. _“Wake up!”_

“Ugh,” Blitzo groaned as he shook his head. His body was sore again, but he didn’t feel that big hole in his waist, which was good. Clearing his vision, he saw something, or rather someone, he didn’t expect to see. “Stella? What are you doing here?”

Stolas’s wife was looking at him with a horrified expression and tears in her eyes. Something that the imp rarely saw from her. Usually, it was distrust or disgust, but she looked to be genuinely worried about him. “We don’t have much time! I...I’m so sorry! I never meant for this to happen! Not like this.” She was sobbing but doing her best to stay calm. “I’m going to get you out of here! Back to my husband’s place! I promise I’ll do everything I can to make it up to you!”

“Ugh...okay?” Blitzo was confused by what she meant, but if it meant getting out of here, who the hell was he to complain. She started to undo the locks around his limbs when, suddenly, the door kicked open. Gasping, Stella turned around and saw the cloaked figure and Alexander, now supporting a band-aid on his nose, looking at them.

“Stella, what are you doing?!” Alexander demanded as two tengu rushed in and seized her.

“Alex, listen to me! We’ve gone too far! This has to end!” Stella cried out as the ravens took her by the arms. “Let go of me! I command you to let go of me!”

_“Alexander, please take your sister to her room and make sure she doesn’t do anything else to interfere with our plans,”_ The cloaked figure said without one look towards either of them.

Alexander looked at his sister and, hooting with anger, ordered the guards to take her away. She pleaded with him to stop as she looked to Blitzo with fear and terror in her eyes. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! _I promise I’ll get you help!”_

Once they had left, it was just Blitzo and the cloaked figure who stared at each other in silence. The cloaked figure soon moved forward with small applause, much to the imps confusion. _“I must admit. My respect for you has gone up. Few would ever defy their captors after ten days of constant suffering and agony like you have been through. I thought for sure your spirit would crumble, but you defied me. I am in awe since I have never seen it in your kind.”_

“Maybe we’re more than you think,” Blitzo growled, spitting on the floor. “Maybe we're more than vermin who you think should be wiped out of existence.”

_“So you did overhear. Well, it won’t matter. Even if your friends got to Prince Stolas, they have no way of knowing where we are or who we are. I’m afraid nobody is coming to rescue you, and you’re going to die here.”_

Blitzo closed his eyes and shrugged. “Yeah, well, life’s a bitch, and then you die. So get it over with already.”

_“Oh, I’m not going to kill you. I said I would make you suffer if you defied me, and I am a man of my word.”_ The cloaked figure slowly pulled out something from his pocket, and Blitzo winced at the sight of it. It was a tiny purple worm with pincers and small teeth. It wiggled in the glove of the cloaked figure while letting out a high pitched scream. _“Do you know what this is? It’s called a Nightmare Parasite. Something that can only be found in the Eldritch Cities. What this little bugger does is that it will latch itself onto your brain, inside your head, and put you in a deep sleep. One that you will never wake up from. While you sleep, the worst fears you have ever held or suffered will come to life in your mind. You will be forced to watch them endlessly until your heart finally caves in from fear and kills you. Now, let’s see what it is that you fear.”_

Blitzo tried to look away, but he couldn't move by some invisible force from the cloaked figure. He was stuck and forced to watch with his eyes wide open. The glove holding the parasite slowly got closer to his eye as it looked at Blitzo, inches away from his pupil, and screeched before jumping inside.

Then everything went dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have some Blitzo x Stolas flashbacks


	11. The Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loona comforts Octavia in the aftermath of learning her mother's betrayal while Stolas thinks back to the moment he fell in love with Blitzo

Loona didn’t know what was worse. Knowing that one of your best friends' mother was behind your father’s kidnapping or said friend’s reaction to the news. The hellhound didn’t know what to think or even say when Stolas told them the truth. Naturally, Octavia fell into hysterics, and Loona wanted to comfort her friend, but seeing her and Stolas hugging each other in heartbreak made the hellhound realize this wasn’t the time. 

“This is so fucked up,” Loona said, running her paw through her hair. Millie was nodding in agreement as the two ladies waited for Stolas to return to his office. Moxxie wanted to join as well, but Millie threatened him to stay put in bed for a little longer until he got the full all clear. “I mean...I know she didn’t like Dad that much but...to do this?”

“Demons do crazy things,” Millie said, shrugging. “Trust me, I know from experience.”

“...I’m still going to kill her,” Loona growled, claws sharpening. “I don’t care if she’s Octavia’s mother. I’m going to rip every feather off of that bitch before I have her for dinner.”

“I would ask that you leave my wi-Stella to me.” The girls turned and saw Prince Stolas walk inside silently. His face was stoic, but his trembling hands made it clear that he was a whirlwind of emotions on the inside. Walking up to his desk, he waved his hand, and an illusionary map of the entire underworld appeared before them. “Now that we know that Stella is involved in Blitzo’s kidnapping, I am going to assume her family is also involved as well. Natasha, her mother, is so old school and elite that she makes half the nobles in Hell look like generous nuns on Christmas Day. She looks down on the lesser hellspawn and sinners as if they were bugs not worthy of being under her foot. Her son, Alexander, is just a toady who follows his mother’s wishes like the good little boy scout, but he’s weak and pathetic in the end. Regardless, they have money and influence due to being a _Fallen_ family with _Goetia_ blood in them.”

“Why the fuck did you even marry into that family?” Loona asked, eyebrows raised.

“I had no choice. My parents arranged it based on an alliance we had during the Eldritch-Devil War thousands of years ago. Stella shared her mother’s traits, but she was more modern and merely desired to keep our kinds separated and segregated rather than enslaving or wiping them out by the thousands like some of the more extreme types. Over time, she became less like her mother and more like her own person to the point where I thought we had some kind of connection, especially when Octavia was born. I know she worried about our status with my constant dealings with lesser demons, but I thought she’d never go so far as this,” Stolas said, shaking his head. 

“So, what now? Do we raid her house or something?” Millie asked.

“I already sent my shadow guards to the main house under the guise of wishing my wife to return,” Stolas said, crossing his arms as he looked at the map intently. “But she wasn’t there. Neither were Natasha and Alexander. Meaning, they must be at another family estate.” He waved his hands, and four locations began to glow on the map. “I’ve never been privy to know where they are exactly as Natasha wasn’t a fan of me either, but I know of the general locations of where they are.”

He began to point to the four locations. “They are either near the capital region, somewhere in the Lost Paradise Province, near Firebrand City, or in the Apollyon Desert Region. Also known as-”

“Abbadon’s Corner,” Loona whispered as she remembered her father’s words on the call. Slamming her paws down, she pointed at the glowing desert and shouted, “Here! This is where they are!”

“How can you be sure?” Millie asked.

“Because on the call with the kidnapper, Dad mentioned it was almost as bad as Abbadon’s Corner! That’s where we went on vacation one time, and it sucked bad! I remember it because that’s where I got the worst tick infestation on my ass!”

“Uh, TMI,” Millie said, sticking her tongue out.

“The official name is Apollyon Desert, but the locals call it Abbadon’s Corner because of how destructive the sandstorms can be! That has to be the place!” Loona proclaimed.

“Well, that narrows it down, but it's still a big area to cover,” Stolas said as he sat down in his chair, rubbing his chin. “It will take time to canvas the area...I’ll send my spies first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I suggest you all rest up.”

“I’m going to check on Octavia if that’s okay?” Loona asked, getting up.

Stolas nodded as Octavia and Millie soon left the room. Millie muttered a goodnight before heading in the Hospital Wing direction, no doubt to check up on her husband. Loona took the familiar route back to her friend’s room, where she could already hear the young owlet princess crying her heart out.

Slowly, she opened the room and saw Octavia crying into her pillow on her big fancy bed. Loona didn’t say anything as she closed the door and walked over to her best friend. By the time she sat down, Octavia slowly turned to Loona, who placed a paw on her back.

Sniffling, the teary-eyed princess sobbed harder and slowly wrapped her arms around Loona. “I...I...I-I’m...s-sor...s-s-sor...”

“Don’t,” Loona answered, holding her friend close. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

All that did was make Octavia cry harder, but Loona didn’t care. She was there when the hellhound needed someone to cry on. It was only fair she returned the favor.

***

After putting up silencing wards around his office, Stolas spent the next half-hour screaming in frustration before throwing his books and furniture around. If his parents could see him now, they would be telling him he was acting like a fucking baby, but Stolas didn’t care. His parents never betrayed each other in such a manner. 

Grabbing the nearest bottle of scotch in his liquor cabinet, Stolas nearly drank the whole thing in five minutes before landing on his couch in tears. All these years with Stella, he thought there was something between them. Not love, there never would such a thing, but trust and friendship. They had been married for nearly three hundred years and had given birth to a loving daughter that both cherished above all else. Early in their marriage, they had often fought about his dealings to help the lesser demons in their current state. Imp City was under his jurisdiction, and he had spent hundreds of years, making it better from the cesspool it used to be. Time went on, and it seemed they found some common ground as the arguments became less about that and just everyday stuff all married couples go on.

That was until he met Blitzo and started sleeping with him. 

“Blitzy...” Stolas wept as he covered his face with his pillow. “I’m so sorry...forgive me.”

He would never forgive Stella and her family for doing this to an innocent imp, and one very close to his heart. Nor would ever forgive himself for letting it even happen. Maybe he had done more with his wife or gone slower with their relationship, then all of this would have been avoided. 

Stella would often ask why was it that he cared about Blitzo so much? What was it that that had caused the mighty and powerful Prince Stolas, who could cross dimensions and wield ancient magic, to fall in love with one of the lowest races in hell, which caused so much trouble?

He thought back to the days that caused it to happen.

***One Years and Half Ago***

Stolas didn't care what others said about imps and their cocks. The one he had experienced last night was as close to getting to Nirvana as one could get in his godforsaken dimension. Rolling over, Stolas tried to feel for his loving Blitzy only to feel nothing but the sheets and mattress. Sighing, Stolas opened his eyes, expecting to see his lover gone once again, as was often the case, but instead, he saw him smoking a cigarette on the nearby balcony without his clothes on. 

“Blitzy?” Stolas asked, slowly getting up.

“Oh, hey. You’re up,” Blitzo said, shrugging. “Usually, you’re down for a whole night after my dick’s had its way with you.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t mind having another feel of that slimy hard cock going down my ass right about now,” Stolas asked, hooting with pleasure. However, he frowned upon seeing Blitzo roll his eyes and look away. “Blitzo? Is something wrong?”

Sighing, Blitzo flicked away his cigarette and turned around, raising an eyebrow. “Just how long am I going to be your monthly fuck boy, Stolas? I mean, what’s so great about me, besides my dick and ass? Don’t you have other guys or girls to fuck?”

“Of course not, Blitzo,” Stolas said, slowly getting up. He walked over to the imp and wrapped his wings around him. “You know you’re the only one I want in my bed.”

“Yeah, sure,” Blitzo snorted as he rolled his eyes. “We’ve been doing this for over a year now, and it’s always the same shit.”

“Not always. What about when we found each other in Loo-Loo Land, and our daughters became friends for the first time? Or that time you saved me from an assassin? Not to mention that time you took me to see the city as a commoner, and we ended up causing a street war! Oh, that was fun!” Stolas pointed out with a cheer. He never had such exciting times in such a long while ever since he met Blitzo.

“Yeah, but...” Blitzo sighed as he shook his head. “Look, I appreciate that you do what you can to help with the business, especially since you’re well known enough to get us in contact with rich paying clients. Not rich enough to keep us out of the red...”

“That’s because I’m not the one who buys a plot of land in Australia and then can’t own it because he’s not a resident or citizen of the country,” Stolas pointed out with a chuckle.

“Hey, I was that close to getting my dream of being a ranch owner! Far as I am concerned, those Aussie pricks can go get fucked by kangaroos!” Blitzo yelled. Shaking his head, the imp sighed. “I mean...is this all I am to you, though? A sex toy?”

“Blitzo?” Stolas asked in surprise.

“I mean, let’s face it, Stolas, save for the weird adventure we end up in by mistake, most of the time, you’re just calling me to flirt with me or have sex. The only reason I am doing this at all is so we can keep using the book to get to the living world,” Blitzo grumbled. “So you’ll forgive me if I don’t always find wanting to be some kind of object to be used as you see fit, even if the sex is good.”

At that moment, Stolas’ eyes opened, and he felt a painful sense of guilt worming into his heart. He had never realized it, but outside of the rare times they interacted, this was the extent of their relationship. Blitzo comes over with the book, Stolas quickly does his job with it, they have sex, and the imp leaves the next morning with the book. Sure, sometimes he stayed for breakfast and even arrived a few times for dinner, but that was only dependent on traffic. 

“I see...” Stolas slowly placed his hand on Blitzo’s shoulder. “I apologize that you feel this way. I wasn’t trying to harm you or anything, Blitzo.”

“Well, you aren’t really _hurting_ me. I mean, come on, I'm not a pussy,” Blitzo said, rolling his eyes, but the twitch of his tail didn’t go unnoticed. “It’s just that I’d like to know what the fuck we are?”

“...Well, I’d like to be your friend if you’d let me,” Stolas said, with a small smile. “And I think I prove it. Come over next week, without the book, and I promise we won’t be having sex if you wish not to have it.”

“Why? What are we doing?” Blitzo asked, eyebrow raised.

“You’ll see, Blitzy,” Stolas teased with a wink. “You’ll see.”

***One Week Later***

Stolas had been excited all week. Setting up the private time he and Blitzo we’re going to have didn’t take much effort to achieve, but the wait was so long that he felt ready to rocket into space. Just as planned, Blitzo arrived with Stolas waiting outside his palace as Reginald showed him the way and bowed before leaving.

“Sorry I’m late,” Blitzo said, wiping some blood off his jacket. “Got your text in the middle of a hit. An entire group of preppy college girls who bullied some other girl into suicide. They were surprisingly decent fighters when their lives were at stake.”

“You aren’t injured, I hope?” Stolas asked.

“Nah, but you should see Moxxie,” Stolas chuckled. “Idiot let his guard down and got his wiener smashed by a baseball bat. Boy, he and Millie are really going to not be having kids now!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Stolas motioned for Blitzo to follow him as they made their way around the palace. Blitzo looked around, bored out of his mind until they made it to the backyard, and his jaw dropped in amazement. Stolas quickly took a snapshot of it with his phone as Blitzo’s eyes turned into stars at the sight of two white purebred Arabian Horses who were being held in place by two of his butlers. 

“Are...are those...horses...real-life Arabian Horses?! From Earth?!” Blitzo asked with glee. He was clapping his hands and stomping on the ground like a child who just met Santa Claus. It was cute in a weird way.

“Yup, I borrowed them for the day from a fellow noble of mine. He owed me a favor, and I decided to ring it up,” Stolas said as he walked towards the one on the right and started petting it. “They’re well trained and quite a couple of beauties, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’ve never seen anything more adorable than them!” Blitzo said as he walked over to the one on the left and started cooing at it. He petted its mane and scratched its ears while whispering to it. With his eyes light up, he pulled out a carrot and started feeding the horse while squeeing. “How are they able to survive in Hell?”

“My friend gets his worshipers on Earth to sacrifice them here in his name,” Stolas explained. “Their souls then get sent to him, and he uses his own magic to give them a more physical form. After that, it’s just a manner of training them to adapt to Hell’s landscape so long as it's not some of the more dangerous areas.”

“What are their names?!” Blitzo demanded, petting the other one too.

“Xander and Aragon,” Stolas said before getting up on the saddle of Aragon. “Want to take them out for a ride?”

“Do you even have to ask?!” Blitzo soon jumped onto Xander like a professional much to the Demon Prince’s surprise. He thought Blitzo would need a lesson or two, but he was sitting perfectly like he had done this before. “Let’s make trails!” 

With a kick, Blitzo got Xander to gallop towards the nearby woods while whooping all the way. Not one to be left out, Stolas got Aragon to soon join up as the two rode into the trees.

***Three Hours Later***

After hours of riding, trotting, and letting the horses do their own thing, Stolas decided to give them a lunch break. While the horses were eating some grass, the _Goetia_ demon had summoned them a proper picnic lunch with sandwiches, chips, wine, and salads. Calmly biting into his salami and cheese sandwich, Stolas watched in amusement as Blitzo used a brush to work on the horse's manes. 

Once again, Blitzo had surprised him. He had ridden his horse better than Stolas, and Xander seemed to be wholly relaxed under his control. Curious, Stolas shifted his weight under the tree he was resting on and asked, “So, when did you become so good at horses?”

“Oh, we had them in the circus I grew up in,” Blitzo answered as the horse gave him a lick on the noose. “Aw, such a cutie.”

“I take it they were hell-born horses?” Stolas asked.

“Yeah, all skull-like and scary shit like that,” Biltzo said as he walked over to the tree and sat down. Taking in a fruit salad, he began to dig in before continuing, “Those aren’t really creatures of beauty, however. When I saw my first photo of a horse on Earth, I fell in love at first sight.”

“Why do you love them so much? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think they are majestic creatures as well, but why horses?” Stolas asked, tilting his head.

Blitzo was quiet for a moment as he closed his eyes in thought. When he opened them again, Stolas saw something that he never thought he’d see in Blitzo: longing. “I guess it's because...they always act so free. Like, they don’t focus on anything else except the world around them. Running as they please, eating wherever they can go, and they always stick together as a herd. They never abandon one another and don’t go looking for trouble. They just go around finding places to be happy and at peace.”

Looking at Stolas, he then asked, “Have you ever wanted to throw all of these burdens in our lives? Jobs, taxes, constant reminders of how damned we are, etc? Take all of that and just chuck it out the window and go running into the wild? Nothing else would matter than travel, eating, and be happy with the ones you care about. No worries about the war between Heaven and Hell. No contact suffering from your surroundings due to Hell’s nature. And nobody is being judged for their income or class. To me? That’s what horses have that I want...what we all should want.”

Looking up into the skies, Blitzo smiled. “I want to be able to go where I feel, do what I want, and be with those who I care about. Honestly, one of the big reasons I started I.M.P. is because I wanted to do something nobody has ever thought of doing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m good at killing, and I like it, but I also know what it’s like to lose everything, get screwed over, and not be strong enough to get the satisfaction of revenge. I guess I just want to make sure I can give that to others. Sure, they aren’t all nice people, and I have killed innocent people too, but what can I do? I was born in Hell, so whatever salvation they expect from me is impossible. Heaven and Hell see me as some low-class idiot imp who deserves nothing. This is why I wish I was a horse, so I could just run away from it all and just be myself and free.”

“...Blitzo,” Stolas said in awe. He felt his heart moved by such a thought, and something was turning inside him. Lowering his head, Stolas felt a tear nearly come out as he realized there really was more to this imp than he thought. “I...I kinda envy you.”

“You? You’re rich, powerful, and are one of the few demons who get along with Angels. What do you envy me for?” Blitzo asked.

“Because I do not have the freedom or drive like you do,” Stolas muttered as he looked at his talons. “All my life, I’ve been prepared to be a Prince of Hell. All without any choice. Don’t get me wrong, I do like what I do, but I wish I could be freer. Read books, have tea, go out and explore places of Hell and Earth I’ve never seen. Find actual friends that like me for who I am and know who I am rather than just because of my social status. You’ve managed to make one of the most well known and-”

“Successful?” Blitzo asked with a smile.

“... _interesting_ companies Hell has seen in some time,” Stolas said with a smile, which made Blitzo grumble. “Sorry, Blitzy, but you really need to be better at managing your money.”

“Stupid Australians,” Blitzo muttered before leaning back against the tree, his shoulder against Stolas. “But you did also get one thing wrong, Stolas.” He looked at the owl demon with a smile. “You do have a friend who likes you for who you are.”

“...and you’re a much better person than you think you are, Blitzo,” Stolas said, pinching his cheek.

“Ah, shut up,” Blitzo said as she stretched his arms and yawned. “I’m gonna take a short nap. All that riding made me tired.”

“Hmm, that sounds good about now,” Stolas said as he cuddled next to his Blitzy and wrapped his arms around him. Blitzo didn’t seem to mind as the imp was snoring peacefully in his embrace a few minutes later. Smiling, Stolas closed his eyes and slowly hooted into a snooze beside the most comfortable pillow he knew.

***Later***

After waking up, the two decided to head back and rode all the way just as it was about to become late afternoon. Giving the reins to the butlers, Blitzo quickly spent one last time petting the two before kissing them on the nose each. Wiping a tear from his eyes, Blitzo sighed. “Those two are so cute.”

“Just like you, Blitzy,” Stolas said with a wink, which made the imp blush. “Well, I sadly had nothing else planned for the day. Stella wishes for me to dine with her and Octavia today, so I’m afraid this is where we part ways. I’m glad you came over, and we had some real fun.”

“Yeah,” Blitzo said, rubbing the back of his head. “It was nice.”

“Well then, see you around,” Stolas said as he turned around and was about to make for his home when Blitzo called out.

“W-wait!” Blitzo shouted as he rushed forward. Stopping in front of Stolas, the imp muttered, “Um, well, one of our jobs paid us really well, and I was thinking of having a little company vacation to one of those islands up on Earth that no humans are on next Saturday. Since I feel like I kinda owe you for the day, I wondered if you and your family want to join us? I mean, Octavia and Loona have become such good friends it kinda would be a nice thing to give to our girls, right?”

Blushing, Stolas gulped and rubbed the back of his head. “Um...sure, but there is one thing you should know.”

“What’s that?” He asked.

Sighing, Stolas muttered, “I can’t swim.”

Blitzo’s eyes widened before snickering, and then came the full on laughter, much to the Prince Demon’s embarrassment. “Really?! The super-powered prince of summoning himself to other worlds cannot swim? You’re what, four thousand years old now? And all that time you never learned?”

“Have you seen how owls look when they are swimming? It’s not very pretty. I still can’t even believe Octavia knows how to swim better than me...” Stolas grumbled, crossing his arms.

“Well, then I guess that’s one thing we’ll do when we’re on there,” Blitzo said, wrapping his arm around the taller demon’s waist. “I’m a great teacher at swimming! Taught my Loony everything there is to know.”

“I don’t know...”

“Do a good enough job, and I’ll put my tail in your asshole that night while letting you suck my dick,” Blitzo added with a grin. 

**_“DEAL!”_ **Stolas shouted with excitement at the prospect. Already his asshole was begging for that sweet feeling of being abused like a whipped puppy.

“Great, see you then!” Blitzo said as he was about to turn around but paused. Stolas tilted his head as Blitzo looked like he was debating on something until he shrugged. “Ah, why the fuck not?”

Grabbing Stolas by his shirt, Blitzo leaned the prince to his face and kissed him on the lips. In all the times they had slept together in bed, the one thing that Blitzo never did was kiss him. It was actually the one rule that he requested when they did so. Stolas didn’t mind because he figured it was just awkward enough to be sleeping with a prince, but this was the first time their lips actually touched. Stolas had felt unimaginable power throughout his long years of living and crossing between the barriers of reality. He had been through rituals, summonings, and events that had changed him both inside and out.

Yet none of those were compared to the kiss he was getting right now. He had never been to Heaven, just Purgatory when he was allowed, but this right here? These few moments of utter bliss had to be what Heaven was like every day of eternity. Because Stolas had never felt anything so beautiful and lovely as this.

Ending the kiss, Blitzo did a 180 and started running towards the exit with his hand in the air, waving. “See you later!” 

Slowly touching his lips, Stolas felt something that he had never felt before in his entire life save for his mother, father, and daughter. Something that, in all the creatures of the world he had bedded, never brought such a feeling.

Love.

With that one kiss, Stolas knew he had fallen in love with that damn imp.

***Present***

Stolas knew that he and Blitzo could never have what he truly wanted. He wanted Blitzo to be his partner, his boyfriend, maybe even his husband if things worked perfectly. Ignoring the fact he was already technically married-although not for long-there was no way the entire hierarchy of Hell would accept such a romance. Even Lucifer would be after his hide.

Only after their relationship became more could Stolas truly understand what Blitzo meant about wanting to be free as a horse. “Blitzo...I’m sorry...” he whispered. He had to find him. He had to save him. Even if it meant...killing his daughter’s mother.”

“Sir!” Reginald said as he burst through the door. 

“Reginald, I said I want-”

_“Stolas!”_

The Owl Prince felt his mouth dry, and heart nearly stopped as his wife, escorted by his guard, rushed in with tears in her eyes.

“You have to stop them!” Stella shouted. “You have to save Blitzo before it's too late!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did Stella manage to escape? Next chapter reveals all. Please Kudos, Bookmark, and comment your thoughts. It gives me great strength :)
> 
> Note: The whole horses thing I took inspiration from one chapter from Helluva Bachelor by mlavier. Which I recommend reading as I think its the best Helluva Boss fanfic currently.


	12. The Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stella explains everything and regrets what she has done. With a location now given, I.M.P., Stolas, and his guard prepare to rescue Blitzo.

Moxxie never wanted to kill anyone so hard in his life other than this privileged bitch before him right now. Well, maybe his parents, but he would never personally kill them himself and just let someone else do it. The moment they all got word from their beds that Stella was in the house, it took everyone’s will power (especially Loona’s) to not kill the bitch right then and there. The only thing preventing him from shooting her in the head was that she knew where Blitzo was.

The owl bitch looked terrified by the hateful glares she was getting from everyone in the room. Moxxie could already tell his wife was inching closer to her daggers, while Loona never stopped growling or showing her teeth. Reginald, the butler, was even looking ready to kill the woman in front of him. That was nothing, however, compared to Stolas. His eyes were all glowing, not just red but shades of black as well, and the very earth was shaking once and awhile from the immense power he was holding back. Moxxie wondered what Octavia would be doing or saying right now, but she had refused to see her “mother” at all.

“You have ten seconds to tell me where my father is, or else I’m going to serve you as a thanksgiving dinner to some poor family on earth,” Loona demanded, snapping at the frightened owl demoness. 

“Please, just let me explain! I know you’re angry, and Satan knows I deserve it, but-”

_“Angry?!”_ Moxxie shouted, getting into Stella’s face. “You kidnapped our boss! You had him tortured for ten days! Put everyone, including your family, through grief and sorrow all this time, and you think **_we’re fucking angry?!”_ **

“Mox, calm down,” Millie said, pulling him back. “I want her dead too, but we need her alive for now!”

“I didn’t want things to go this far!” Stella shouted, tears in her eyes. “I just...I just wanted the book back...I didn’t want to risk my family’s reputation...but I didn’t want him to get hurt. None of this was supposed to happen!”

“Stella,” Stolas said with a demanding tone. “What were you even thinking when you did this to begin with?”

She huffed and straightened herself out, which made Moxxie roll his eyes. Even in the circumstances she was in, the royal cunt had to look posh. “I was afraid, okay!” She explained, looking at all of them with a glare. “I was afraid that someone would figure out that Bitzo was using my husband's grimoire to access the human world! How long would it have taken for the upper lords or even Lucifer himself to figure it out?!” She glared at Stolas. “If they even suspected it, our entire family would have been crucified! We would be disgraced or even killed! I was thinking about our family, Stolas! Of Octavia! You just wanted to get your dick suc-”

In a flash, the room turned red as demonic symbols appeared on the wall while Stolas as his wings flared out and his talons around Stella’s throat. She looked ready to piss herself because everyone else was just trembling from the power being unleashed. **_“You are already on thin ice, Stella. Watch what you say, or I will simply take the info from your mind and leave you as a husk.”_ **

Everything faded to normal as Stella, eyes widened, placed her claws over her throat, and gasping for air. She soon nodded with a whimper before continuing. “Like I said, I was worried. None of you saw reason, so I went to the only other person who could help me. My mother.”

She lowered her head in shame. “The plan was to kidnap Blitzo and demand the book back. I thought it would be easy. Just get it and release him. We hired others for the job, and we were going to make it look like they were behind it all. We just planned on killing them when we had the book. There were no plans to hurt Blitzo or do anything bad to him! I just wanted to scare him and get him to give up the book in exchange for his life! Then I would just pretend to use my contacts to find the book and convince you that way to stop giving it to the imps! I swear that was all I wanted to do!” 

“But I take it Natasha had other plans,” Stolas pointed out.

“There was...someone...I don’t know his name or what he even looks like, but he’s powerful...as powerful as you are, Stolas,” Stella said, shivering in fear. This made Stolas’ stoic expression break into curiosity. “I don’t know how he met my mother, but she told me he was a friend who would make our family rise higher than ever before. Even before Father was alive. I didn’t question it, but then one day...”

***Seven Days Ago***

Stella had a bad feeling ever since she woke up this morning. She wasn’t superstitious, but when your morning teacup cracks for no reason, that usually isn’t a good sign that things aren’t going your way. It had been three days since she and her family managed to kidnap Blitzo and put him in the family dungeon in the hopes of scaring him to give up the book’s location. According to her brother, all he did was mouth off, unsurprisingly, and claimed he didn’t know what they were talking about. 

Stella wondered just how long they could keep him here. If he didn’t say anything soon, his fellow imps and that mutt of a daughter he had would get suspicious and do something. If they went to her husband, she would simply let Blitzo go and end the whole thing. Much as Stella thought Stolas was stupid and foolish to be giving up his grimoire to an imp of all things, she knew better than to cross him. 

Her mother had asked her to come outside to the villa for tea. So she put on a simple sundress with a big fluffy hat to give her comfort in the shade. Naturally, having a retreat in the desert, including this one, would be considered insane but her father, bless his soul, managed to use runes to make it so not a single grain of sand could enter the premise. It was like an oasis, but a secret one for the family to use if trouble was arrested. 

“Oh, Father,” Stella said as she looked at a portrait of him nearby. 

She had been in her late teens when he died in the Eldritch-Devil War, when Heaven finally intervened and ended it with their armies, and she missed him so. He wondered how he would have reacted to her loving daughter, Octavia. Would he be proud or ashamed? Much as Stella loved her daughter, she was too much like her father in many ways. Including her desires to hang out with the more...ruffian type of demons. Hopefully, once the book was back in her family's possession and I.M.P going under without it, Stella could find the time to properly guide Octavia back to a more proper path. 

Making her way to the outdoor balcony, she smiled as her mother and brother waved for her to join them. Then she frowned upon seeing who was also there. The cloaked nameless figure that she had met only yesterday. Every time she saw him, Stella’s instincts were screaming at her to get away as far as possible from him. He held an aura very different than any creature she knew in the Nine Hells, but there was a familiar aura to him as well. The one thing she could tell was that his power was far greater than any other beings in this room. 

Sitting down, the three owl demons exchanged small talk before Alexander said something that made Stella pause in her tea. “I swear that imp should have been broken by now. How long can he last with the brutal beatings he’s been getting.”

“What?!” Stella nearly jumped upon hearing this. “Beatings! What are you talking about?!”

“The ones I ordered Nikolaev and Sergei to perform on that stupid imp we captured. So he could tell us how to get the book,” Alexander said without a care. 

Stella felt her eyes widen, and her blood turn cold. This wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan. Standing up, she glared at her younger brother and hooted in anger. “Alexander! This wasn’t part of the plan! We agreed to keep him captive, but not to beat and torture him! What were you thinking?!”

“Dear, don’t be mad at Alex,” Natasha said, eating a pastry before motioning her daughter to sit down. “It was our idea.” 

“Your idea, Mother?!” Stella gasped. 

_“And mine,”_ the cloaked figure said, snapping Stella’s head towards him. She noticed then that he didn’t once drink his tea or taste any of the food presented at the table. _“If we knew where the book was, then we could just simply grab it and keep it for ourselves. However, the demons we sent to look have not found it meaning it's hidden somewhere either with magic or contraption. Should the imp tell us where it is, then we can easily dispose of him-”_

_“Dispose of?!”_ Stella shouted as she stood up and glared. “We agreed we weren’t going to hurt him or anything! Just release him back into Imp City!”

“Why do you care, he’s just an imp?” Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you hated him.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I want to see him beaten or killed off!” Stella growled. “When did you decide this without me?!”

“Both of you leave. I wish to talk with my daughter,” Natasha said, dapping her beak with a napkin. 

Alexander and the cloaked figure got up and made their way back inside while leaving Natasha and Stella alone across the table. “Stella, when you presented me the knowledge that your foolish husband was giving such a powerful book to an imp for sex, I was halfway to alerting the higher-ups of Hell. The only thing that stopped me was the harm the scandal could do to you and your daughter.”

“And Stolas,” Stella pointed out.

“Stolas is an idiot,” Natshasa snorted. “He has the power, resources, and intelligence to rise higher above his status. He can even be Lucifer’s right-hand man, but the fool focuses on other ventures that aren’t important.”

“Well,” Stella sighed. “I agree my husband could be more focused on increasing his power, but the benefits of improving the other races of Hell have shown some results. Plus, his methods of playing politcal games in the human world and working with Heaven to solve the population crisis are worthy goals.”

“The lesser races are one of the reasons the Hells are the overpopulated shitholes they have been for the past few centuries,” Natasha muttered, rolling her eyes. “They are weak, have no use other than cannon fodder, and those times they try to rebel always end in disaster because they bicker among themselves. As for his strategies in the human world? Waste of time. Humans will destroy themselves or suffer such a disaster they’ll be sent hundreds of years back in development. And while I admire him trying to solve the population crisis, he’s working with Heaven. Our mortal enemies.”

“Lucifer approved of the idea,” Stella pointed out.

“Shows what he’s become in the last thousand years, hasn’t it?” Natasha snorted. “In the old days, we were focused on destroying the Angels, turning the humans against them, and trying to get our revenge on God. Now we’re acting more like the humans than our own traditional demonic selves, we’re working with Angels in secret, and there are even attempts to redeem the souls of Hell. From Lucifer's own daughter no less!”

“And what would you do, Mother?” Stella asked, rolling his eyes. “And what does this have anything to do with the _Grimoire of Worlds?_ ”

Natasha gave a smile that sent a chill down Stella’s spine. “Our new _friend_ has presented us an opportunity with the book that will not only bring Hell back to a proper standing, but it will help us raise ourselves higher than we ever have before.”

“What is this-”

“I will tell you when you are ready,” Natasha said as she got up and made her way to her daughter. Placing her talons on her shoulder, she whispered, “Trust me, Stella. I know what I am doing.”

***Present***

“So you knew what they were doing to Blitzo, and you still didn’t do anything?!” Millie growled.

Lowering her face in shame, Stella muttered, “No, and I should have done something. I didn’t know how bad it was until much later. I...I kept hearing rumors of the ways they were torturing him. Methods that made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t think they were real, or maybe I was in denial. I couldn’t believe my mother and brother would allow such a thing to happen.”

“...What did they do?” Moxxie asked, gripping his hand so tight that they nearly drew blood. 

Stella closed her eyes and told them everything. The beatings, the knives, the electric shocks, the whippings, and more. Every sick and twisted thing that Blitzo had been put under and was forced to suffer from. Nearly everyone was turning green at the images playing in their head with each passing tale of suffering that it got to the point that Loona and Millie were in tears. Moxxie had to hold his wife while doing his best to keep himself strong. The fact that Blitzo was alive was a miracle.

“...I’m going to kill them, Stella,” Stolas said. He spoke in a stoic voice, but there was a tone that promised Armageddon. “Your family’s fate is sealed.”

“...I know,” Stella whispered, lowering her head as she silently cried tears. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I know what I did was wrong, and if I knew just how bad it was, I would have done something.”

“You think an apology can make up for all this?!” Loona shouted. She screamed as she took a chair and smashed it against the wall. “You may not have wanted it, but it still happened because of you, bitch!”

“You don’t think I know that?!” Stella screamed, standing up. To her credit, she didn’t flinch when Loona growled at her. “You don’t think I feel guilty enough as it is?! Ashamed?! I can still hear his screaming at night in my head! And when I saw him as they dragged him back to the chambers after he called you, I knew right then and there what I had done was unforgivable, but what I learned after...”

“What? What did you learn?!” Stolas demanded.

“The real reason they wanted the book...” Stella fell down and shook her head. “It was after I tried to save Blitzo. I went to his cell and tried to free him, but I was caught. Afterward, they dragged me to my room and then told me the truth.”

***A few hours ago***

“How could you do this?! You’re a monster! All of you are!” Stella screamed to her family and the cloaked figure. They had come to her shortly after her failed rescue. One that, if she was honest, was weak and ill-thought. Her brother was looking nervous, while her mother just looked at her with disappointment. Who could tell what the cloaked figure was thinking?

“Dear, he’s just-”

“Being an imp is no justification for this!” Stella shouted, tears in her eyes. “He has a daughter! One who is friends with my daughter! My husband cares about him! How will they react when they learn about this!”

“Who says they will?” Natasha said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, Stella, I thought you were smarter than this. Think about it. Would we really just let him go after all this?”

Stella’s eyes widened as she stepped back in horror. “You...you planned on killing him from the start. Didn’t you? That’s not what-”

“Plans change, especially when opportunity knocks,” Natasha said as she walked up to her daughter and looked at her in the eye. “You thought too small, dear. Yes, getting the grimoire out of the hands of the imps and back into your husband’s is important, but there is a bigger task we can do.”

“Like what?”

“We can use the grimoire for our own purposes,” Alexander said with a smile. “The _Grimoire of Worlds_ has incredible power in it. One that can rival even the mightiest of Demons and Angels. With it, we can use its power to change Hell for the better!”

“How? I don’t understand,” Stella said, shaking her head. “This isn’t making any sense!”

“There is a spell in the book. One called _Dimension of Utter Destruction Spell,”_ Natasha explained with a smirk. “It can swallow anything summoned before it into a dimension of pure darkness that can destroy anything and anyone inside it into utter annihilation. Nothing, not even the souls of a Demon, Angel, or human, will survive it when the spell ends.” She then walked over to a nearby map of the entire nine circles of Hell that Stella had in her room. “Imagine all the scum infested areas of Hell wiped out in one day by the power of such a spell. All the criminals, degenerates, weaklings, deplorables, and useless demons all gone with but a flick of a wrist.”

At that moment, Stella fell to her bed in horror. Her feathers turning pale as she saw the satisfied looks on her mother and brother. Images of billions of residents in Hell being swallowed up by great voids and disappearing forever into darkness played in her mind. The screams of men, women, and children of all the various races being wiped out in a sick and twisted holocaust. Stella thought she had known her mother to be a cold and hard demoness, but this wasn’t murder. This was genocide! 

“You... you’ll kill billions of demons!” Stella pointed out.

“It’s for the greater good,” Natasha said.

“Greater good?! This is madness! Mother, you cannot believe that this is right?!” She turned to her brother. “Alex, surely you are not on board with this as well?!”

“Well, Mother makes a good point!” Alexander said, straightening himself up. “Besides, we’re already in as deep as we are. We might as well go with it.”

“But how do you intend to even use the book?!” Stella asked. “None of you are powerful enough to use it! Not even I can!”

_“That’s where I come in,”_ The cloaked figure said, stepping forward. _“I am powerful enough to read and use its magic. You’re mother’s interests and mine are aligned, though I have more uses for the book afterward.”_

“Who are you?! What kind of Demon are you?!” Stella demanded, which got a chuckle from him.

_“I am no Demon, nor am I an Angel. I am not even human, not anymore. I am something old, ancient, and far more dangerous than you can even imagine,”_ The cloaked figure said with an amused tone. 

“But this! This is madness, this is wrong!” Stella shouted, holding her talons to her head. This all seemed like a bad dream. A nightmare she couldn’t wake out of. “You’ll be destroying half of Hell for all this insanity!”

“No, we’ll be saving Hell!” Alexander screamed in excitement. “Think about it! We can solve the population crises in one blow! No more Exterminations again! We can divert our economy into rebuilding a proper Demon army for the second war with Heaven! Only those worthy of being demons can be demons, and the rest are just used as slave labor like in the old days! We can make Hell a proud and proper dimension like it was once in Father’s time!”

“The other Overlords will never allow this! Lucifer and his group will never allow it! I don’t even think God will allow this!” Stella pointed out.

“The other Overlords will be too busy trying to take advantage of this situation to be a threat, but they’ll see the benefit of everything soon enough,” Natasha said, waving her hand. “Lucifer has also grown soft. There are certain factors in Hell that wish to see him removed. We can play this to our advantage and get a proper King of Hell to rule us again, or a Queen if fortune favors us. As for God? He is our enemy. Why should we care what he thinks?”

“What about my husband?! It won’t take long for Demons to question why this happened due to his job!” Stella pointed out.

“Your husband shall meet a...shall we say, sad and tragic end,” Natasha muttered as Stella looked at her in horror. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Sweetie. You and he aren’t in love or anything, and he served his purpose by giving you a child. She’ll need proper re-education to become a proper heir to our family, but this can be done in time.”

“You will not hurt my family, you witch!” Stella shouted. Screaming in a fury, she made a move for her mother, but an invisible force pushed her back to her bed, where she felt her stomach nearly cave in upon itself.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Alexander whispered.

_“It’s clear she won’t listen to what you have to say,”_ The cloaked figures said, putting his arm down. _“The Nightmare Parasite will do its job on Blitzo while we wait for the I.M.P to deliver the book at the promised location when we make our next call. I’ll be there to kill them and take the book. Even if they come with reinforcements, they will not last long. For now, I suggest you lock her up and leave her until we’re done.”_

“Sadly, it seems we must,” Natasha said as she made her way to the door with the rest. Before she closed and locked it, she said, “I do hope you change your mind, my daughter. Things will be better once you see things our way.”

Stella screeched as her mother closed the door. She pounded on it and cursed the women she once loved and respected before falling to the floor in tears. All Stella wanted was to protect her family, and now billions of lives were at risk because of her foolishness. She thought about Blitzo and all the damage done to him. How ruined and broken, he was in chains while his blood poured out of him.

“What have I done? Forgive me, Blitzo, please forgive me!” She begged as she tried to think of a way out of her predicament. She needed to go home, tell her husband everything, even if it meant him hating her for what she had done. “But how?! How can I get out?!”

She walked over to a nearby chair and started to think. Along the way, she touched her wedding ring and gasped upon realization. She recalled that Stolas had given it a spell that would allow her to transport herself back to the house should anything happen. It was a method to help her avoid any problems at home should she find herself at risk.

Stella cursed herself for not thinking of it when she had Blitzo in her arms. She could have used it to transport them both, but there was no choice now. Placing her hand on the ring, she closed her eyes and summoned her demonic energy. The ring began to glow before Stella’s eyes opened wide, glowing with power.

_“Home,”_ she said before disappearing in a flash of light.

***Present***

“That’s how I came back here,” Stella said, looking up. “That is everything.”

Stolas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew that Natasha was an evil bitch, but this was insane. The looks on Blitzo’s family were also matching his own. Even Reginald had stared at Natasha with his jaw wide open, and he never made an expression. _Ever._

_“What the actual fuck?!”_ Loona shouted in disbelief. “They’re going to try and do a Hilter in Hell?! Is that even possible?!”

“It is,” Stolas answered with a grim expression. Everyone in the room looked at him with fear as he lowered his head towards the grimoire and summoned it. He flipped to the page of the dangerous spell and winced. “The spell is real. I’ve read it before, but I never planned on using it in my entire existence. It’s one of the most dangerous spells that can be uttered. If used correctly, it can create a portal big enough to swallow an entire Circle of Hell and destroy everything inside. Nothing can escape it either. Once you go in, you’re doomed unless God himself intervenes.”

“Our race, our people,” Moxxie muttered in fear and worry. “Not to mention so many others. They would kill us all.”

“You have to stop them!” Stella shouted. “You have the book, but you need to save Blitzo! If he does have a Nightmare Parasite, then who knows how long his sanity has left!”

“What the hell is a Nightmare Parasite?” Millie asked, raising her eyebrow.

“It’s a foul creature that can bring the worst fears, real and imaginary, to life in your mind! It literally doesn’t stop until the person who has it is scared and traumatized so much that they die of shock and fear!” Stolas growled before turning to his wife. “Where is he! **_Tell me now!”_ **

“By Sullenspine Canyon,” Stella said as she walked over to the nearby illusionary map on Stolas’ desk. She pointed at an exact location, and it zoomed in. “Here! This the place!” 

Stolas turned to Reginald. “Get every shadow guard geared up for a full-on raid! Top armor and weapons! We’re taking no chances! Prepare my armor and spear!” He then eyed the determined three I.M.P. members and nodded. “And give Moxxi, Millie, and Loona access to the armory as well. Nothing is off-limits.”

“Understood, follow me, you three,” Reginald said as the three quickly followed the butler out of the room. 

Stolas was about to leave until he paused and turned to his silent wife. “I will tell you right now, Stella. If Blitzo dies, then your fate is sealed as well. I do not know what I will do to you if he lives, but I will say this right now. You and I are done. You are no longer my wife, and I will see to it that you will never see Octavia again!”

“You can’t do that!” Stella screamed, trying to rush to Stolas, but he pushed her away onto a couch. “She’s my daughter!”

**_“THAT YOU MADE CRY IN GUILT AND SHAME BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!”_ ** Stolas screamed, which made the house quake. **_“YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK OR SEE OCTAVIA FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER! TO US! YOU ARE NO MOTHER OR WIFE! YOU ARE HATEFUL MONSTER WHO LET HER BITTERNESS GET THE BEST OF HER AND HURT THIS ENTIRE FAMILY!!!”_ **

Stella didn’t cry or whimper to her credit. She just looked down, ashamed, and slowly nodded. “I know...I’m sorry...I’m sorry, Stolas. I just wanted to protect my family.”

“And in doing so, you ruined it,” Stolas said, slowly calming down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You will remain in this room until I have returned. You will not leave, for if you do, I will have you killed the moment a single feather of your body steps outside. I will deal with you later.”

“...do you love him?” Stella asked, closing his eyes. 

“...Yes.”

“Did you ever love me?”

“...I did,” Stolas answered, back turned to her. “I loved you not as a husband but as a friend and someone I respected. You gave me a daughter I would not trade for anything in the world. You were family, and I would have done anything to protect you. That is all gone now. You are nothing to me. Not my wife, not my friend, and not a part of this family.”

He turned around and glared. “I will **_never_ ** forgive you, Stella. Maybe God can do so with his so-called infinite love, but I will **_never._ **”

Stolas soon left and closed the door behind him. The moment he did, his wife began to weep loudly, and he closed his eyes while focusing his emotions elsewhere. He would deal with his wife afterward, but now he had to save Blitzo.

It was time to bring him home.


	13. The Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gears up and prepares to rescue Blitzo who is suffering another nightmare in his already fragile state of mind. A nightmare that explores the tragedies, fears, and self-hate in his life.
> 
> Note: Another warning about rape in this chapter, also since we don't know really anything about Bitzo's past life I'm adding my own backstory for him. Some things are being left open and not fully explained what happened in his past, but hinted at, because I plan on exploring them later on in a follow up fanfic to this one. There is also an OC I have written for this story (one of many) that will be appearing here.

Millie knew she should have been taking the entire situation seriously. After all, they had to rescue Blitzo before this strange parasite sucked his brain or something. But the moment that she, Moxxie, and Loona saw the armory vault open for them to access, she felt like Christmas had come early. Drool was coming down Millie’s mouth as she eyed all the various weapons at her disposal, each highly crafted with the best of Hell’s gunsmiths with only the richest could buy. The guns they had to use were cheap and commonly used, with the occasional special one saved up or taken from the human world, but this was god damn pure killing machine art.

They had everything lined up in the shiny vault, from pistols to sniper rifles. All displayed on glass shelves with added attachments and plenty of ammo and explosives around. Reginald walked inside a bit before turning to the others. “Because time is not on our side, I believe you should tell me what your preferred style of combat is so I can give you what would suit best for your needs.”

“What do you know about weapons, Gramps?” Loona asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I was the Weapons Master for the 15th Legion of Hell for over three hundred and sixty years before I became into servitude for Prince Stolas’s family,” Reginald stated calmly. “Since then, I have kept myself up to date on every new weapon made on Earth and Hell by personally testing it myself and inspecting it to see if it's excellent quality or not. Should it be sufficient, I work on making sure it's upgraded to the best settings possible.”

Millie whistled. “And here I thought butlers only made tea and cleaned the place.”

“We’re more than that, Miss Millie. Much more,” Reginald stated as he straightened his tie. “Now, what would you wish to use in this assault to free your boss?”

“Something fast, but painful,” Loona growled, slowing her claws. “Weapons I can easily use when running and hunting down my prey.”

Reginald walked over to the pistol section without a second to spare and took out a pair of pistols. “Damascus Steel M1911. A light and deadly metal combined with one of the most well-rounded pistols ever invented. Even the bullets are Damascus Steel with holy salt combined with gunpowder. What most humans don’t know is that Damascus Steel is very painful for certain types of Demons. Particularly _Goetia_ types.” 

Loona took the guns, twirled them around, and grinned. “Anything else?”

“Normally, I would suggest the Uzi, but considering you seem the type who likes to wield lighter weapons for your natural hellhound speed, I suggest we go with these,” Reginald said before taking two guns from their stands. One was a machine gun that Millie recognized as a MAC-10, while the other was a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun. “The MAC-10 is perfect for getting rid of crowds of Demons in your way with its fast fire rate and extended magazine. You don’t need to worry about aiming; just spray it, and something will be swiss cheese. The magazine also auto refills itself up to five times before you’re forced to reload manually.”

“Nice, and the shotgun? Does it auto reload too?” Loona asked, taking both weapons with bloodlust in her eyes.

“No, but this will more than make up for it,” Reginald said, pulling out the ammo, which showed red shotgun shells with flame marks on them. “Dragonfire shells. The name speaks for itself.”

“Hot damn,” Loona said, taking all the weapons and ammo before walking out.

Millie couldn’t get in front of the owl butler fast enough. “Me next! Me next! Give me something up close and personal!” 

“Close and personal? Well, obviously a shotgun, but which one?” Reginald took a moment to think before nodding. “Yes, I think this will do.

He came back with the beauty of a gun that made Millie squee in delight. “A classic Remington Tactical 12 Gauge Shotgun. Filled with a breacher muzzle and barrel that SWAT officers use in the US for when they need something knocked down and blown away. We’ve added a guiding laser on the bottom for targeting, and the stocker is shorter than normal both for comfort and size. What’s unique about this one specifically is that thanks to demonic gunsmithing, the guns fire two shells with one pump.”

“Which means double the fun!” Millie shouted, pumping it. “What about something automatic? Oh! An MP5!”

“MP5’s happen to be among my favorites as well,” Reginald said, nodding to a broad set of them. “I think the best to suit you would be...this one.” He picked the one in the middle of the row, designed snow white with a chilling atmosphere. “This one was designed by Hell’s own 9th Level Deathmaker Firearms Company. Combined with the Bushnell Advanced Micro Reflex Sight and Rubberized grip for perfect accuracy and control, it holds an extended forty-five round magazine of Frost Rounds. As the name entails, it literally causes the victim to have parts of their body freeze up or shatter from the cold's intensity. A cold you only find in the lowest layers of Hell. And as a backup weapon,” He pulled out a pistol, “Hi-Point Model JHP .45 ACP Pistol. Reliable and accurate with a comfortable grip.”

With her new shiny toys, Millie looked almost ready to kiss the owl demon until she remembered. “What about something to cut? I like guns and all, but slicing and dicing is my favorite thing to do when it comes to killing.”

Reginald paused for a moment before walking towards the back. He then came with a single grey and black rectangle of a handle but had no blade. Suddenly, with a button press, a silver blade appeared from the top end that looked thin yet sharp. Another press and the sword retreated back into its original hold. 

“Perfect!” Millie said, taking it with a smile as Moxxie stepped up.

“Based on your performance in dealing with Vaax, you’re more of a ranged fighter?” 

“Yeah, I’ll take something with long-range and something mid-long range if possible,” Moxxie said, nodding.

“Easy enough,” Reginald said as he walked over and picked up a massively huge sniper rifle that Moxxie took into his claws and barely stood with it without falling over. “Barrett M82 Rifle. 1,500-yard range. Semi-Automatic. Comes with Anti-Personnel rounds so strong they can tear through a car. And if you are worried about weight...” He pressed his talon to a small rune on the center of the gun, and instantly it felt as light as a feather for Moxxie. “The rune we carved into it adjusts it so that it’s perfect for the user.”

Lifting it up and looking through the scope, Moxxie nodded before asking. “And what about something for a bit closer?”

“Heckler & Koch HK416,” Reginald said, getting two of them. One for himself and one for Moxxie. “It’s the standard gun we usually use in this household. Comes with a scope that switches from normal to thermal. Controls are crisp and clean, the trigger is excellent for a machine gun, and the firearm is extremely easy to control even on full auto.”

“Great, I’ll take that and a Glock 18 as a backup.”

Before the crew could arm themselves, Reginald motioned to sets of black body armor with Stolas' crest in the upper right corner of the chest and shoulders. “I suggest you take that body armor as well. Tengu are very dangerous to fight. This armor is made from a combination of Kevlar and Arachne Demon Spider Silk, so it’s not only light and easy to move around it, but it will be highly resistant to damage. Don’t worry about measurements; it's got magical charms to fit it for your sizes.”

Pumping her shotgun, Millie smirked. “Those rich assholes aren’t going to know what hit them.”

***

With everyone suited up and geared for war, the three assassins joined the shadow guards outside in the backyard, where they would be transported for their assault. The shadow guards were also wearing the same body armor with blue tactical visors over their eyes. Loona, Millie, and Moxxie each were given one. Upon placing it over their heads, they were able to see various amounts of data such as a green glow among those wearing armor like them, rounds in the guns they were currently holding, and their own vitals.

Apparently, these were state of the art from the U.S. Military back on the human world that was top secret. Not that it stopped Stolas from getting them through his contacts on Earth. 

“It also comes with a zoom feature, night vision, thermal, and radio so we can stay in communication,” Reginald explained, now dressed and armed for combat himself. “We’ll be able to issue commands and information this way.”

“Where’s Prince Stolas? We need to get this show on the road!” Loona said, gripping her MAC-10.

Reginald looked up towards the stairs leading to the palace and nodded. “He’s right there.”

Turning around, the three assassins gulped upon seeing the armor and weapon Prince Stolas had decided to use. It was black as night and looked like something you would see out of the forges of Hell itself. Small spike adored the chest and arms that seemed to have orange eyes opening and closing as if it was flesh mixed with metal. His greaves and legs were also spiked, but more designed for combat should Stolas decide to kick you. The others had no doubt that it would slash a portion of a leg off with a single sweep kick if he did. His wings were out in full display, but with a velvet-like armor protecting them, yet he could flap them around as if they had nothing on them at all. The armor made them sharp around the edges, meaning they could also be used as a weapon. Finally, there was the helmet. Owl shaped and yet designed also to give it a skull-like appearance. The visors were glowing orange with four eye visors swirling with energy, while the mouth guard looked to be something you’d see on a Darth Vader mask from that movie Blitzo showed them a few months ago. The most noticeable thing was the two long horns coming out of the top and fire wrapped around them.

But it was the weapon that was the most intimidating of it all. Every Noble Demon had a unique weapon in the family, be it Hellmade or Heavenmade, and Stolas’ family was no exception. For in his possession was the legendary **_Gáe Bulg_ **, the legendary crimson spear of painful death. Forged by the bones of an ancient sea monster, it was said to have been used by the legendary hero of Ireland, Cúchulainn. It is said that a single blow from this spear was enough to not only end your life but in a bloody fashion as well. How Prince Stolas’ family got this spear was always a mystery, but seeing the glowing death aura around its dark red steel and a sharp edge that could tear them in half stopped them from asking.

Standing before them all, Prince Stolas slammed his spear down for silence as everyone stood in attention. **_“We all know why we are here and what we are going to do. Blitzo’s life is top priority and rescuing him is our main goal. The secondary goal is to kill everyone in the area. No witnesses are to be left alive, not even my former Mother-In-Law, Brother-In-Law, or their servants. All of them I want dead. Understood?”_ ** Everyone nodded. **_“There will be three teams. Team 1 shall be the Assault Team. This team will be led by me, and our objective is to kill everyone inside that isn’t one of Blitzo or us. Team 2 shall be the Rescue Team. They shall be led by Reginald, and their objective is to rescue Blitzo. Each of you will have a teleportation crystal that will take you to Judas General Hospital, where they are already alerted of what’s going on. Loona and Millie shall be part of this team as well. Team 3 shall be the Ranger Team, led by Grimbeak. Your objective is to make sure nobody leaves the area and to provide cover fire from a distance. Moxxie, you will be on this team.”_ **

He looked at all his men and women sworn to him and sighed. **_“I know this is unorthodox. We are rescuing someone my peers believe to be not worth even a lick of a boot. But Blitzo is more than that. He has always been and will be someone close to me and others. Some of you, I think, have even started to like the guy despite all the messes he leaves.”_ **

“In or out the sheets, sir?” Reginald asked in his typical stoic voice but only ended up getting a few chuckles.

**_“Regardless, I ask you...no, I beg you,”_ ** Stolas lowered his head. **_“Help me save him. He’s not just someone I like having sex with. He’s not just a friend that I love to spend time with. He’s part of this family. Part of this nest. And if there is one thing that both Blitzo and I have in common, it’s a simple belief: You never give up on family.”_ **

Upon hearing this, the three I.M.P members looked at each other as Moxxie slowly put his hand out. “For family?”

“For family,” Millie said, putting her hand out.

“For family,” Loona whispered, nodding her head and touching the others.

Prince Stolas raised his arms, and a portal appeared before them all. “ **_Now, let’s go bring him home.”_ **

***

He wanted it to end. He just wanted everything to end.

Blitzo gasped for air as sweat poured down his body, mixing with the tears dripping down it. Since that _thing_ entered into his eye, he found himself in this nightmare that was always changing. No color stayed the same, and the sky was continually shifting shape and form if it even was one. It seemed like hours or even days since he found himself in this place, and it was tearing him apart inside and out.

He continued to wander around the black sanded desert he always found himself in when returning from these nightmares. Each time Blitzo would return here from whatever horror his own mind was causing him to suffer from. He had seen things he never wanted to see again. Witness events that tore his heart apart. A lifetime of shame, agony, and sorrow that he had kept away deep inside. All of which was now appearing before him one by one. Every horrible thing in his life that he had buried deep inside with killing, liquor, drugs, and sex had been playing nonstop on an endless loop. Each different in form and method, yet the same pain each time. He knew it wasn’t real, but it felt real. It looked and sounded real.

_“Blitzo!”_

Covering his ears, Blitzo sobbed and closed his eyes. It was starting again, and it was starting with his big sister. Only three people in his life ever used his name with "o" in it, and they were all dead. “No! No! No! She’s dead! Stop it! I know she’s dead!” 

_“Help me!”_

“Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!”

_“Little brother, please!”_

“Fuck!” Blitzo shouted as he got up and rushed towards the screaming. He knew this was stupid, and he knew that this was just a trap, but he didn’t care. “Tilla! Hold on!”

Blitzo knew that he couldn’t save her. He knew what was going to happen. The same thing that happened that day when he lost everything. Yet he just couldn’t stop himself again. Just hearing his sister drove him to try in futility. Blitzo continued to listen to her moaning and crying, his heart pounding with each step as he looked over every sandy hill in this endless desert until he saw, in the distance, the bright lights of a giant circus tent.

His first home. The one that he never could forget.

Rushing down the hill with all the speed he could muster, Blitzo ran as fast as he could towards the big top. It’s colorful lights and music would usually bring laughter and excitement, but Blitzo knew there was nothing but danger in this tent. One that his older sister, Tilla, was currently undergoing. And not just her; his entire family was in trouble as the memories of that day flashed vibrantly before him.

“Tilla! Barbie! Dad!” Blitzo shouted as he rushed inside. **_“Where are you?!”_ **

He went into the center of the three rings in the middle of the stage, where he saw a cage of shadowy like figures surrounding a tall naked imp. Tilla's long beautiful hair was ragged and ruined with cum, blood, and sweat as the creatures creamed all over her like a savage pack of animals. Her naked body was ruined with claw marks and bruises as they raped her over and over again. A sight that made Blitzo scream in a rage as he rushed towards the cage like a bullet.

“Get off my sister, you animals!” Blitzo cried as he reached the cage. He tried to pry it open, but it was stuck. He saw his big sister, once so beautiful and sweet, being treated like a slave whore to these fuckers who didn’t care about her suffering so long as their shadowy dicks had their fill of pleasure. He screamed and cried in frustration, but once again, he was powerless to save her.

With her bloodshot eyes filled with tears, Tilla reached out as the monsters continued to have their way with her. Blitzo reached out through the bars on his end, trying to grab her hand. “Tilla! Hold on! Please!”

“Blitzo!” She gasped, her mouth puking all types of contents out of it. “Help...me...”

“Tilla! Tilla!” Blitzo shouted as he glared at the beasts with hate in his eyes. “I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you all! Let go of my sister!” 

One of the creatures seemed to have spotted him. With his slitted eyes, it grinned before taking his sister’s head with one hand and extended a claw in the other arm. Tilla struggled and screamed as it raised her high into the air, her feet kicking the creature to let her go. She eyed the sharp steel claw inching closer to her chest. “No! No, please!" Her eyes then turned to her brother as she reached out to him in desperation. " **_BLITZO!”_ **

**_“TILLA!”_ ** Blitzo shouted as loud as he could as the claw sank into his older sister’s chest. He screamed in horror as it sliced downward, splitting her entire torso in half. Her organs and bones, along with a river of blood, slowly dripped out and flopped onto the floor, with her limp body joining in its pile moments later. **_“NOOOOO!”_ **

The cage disappeared, and Blitzo stumbled onto the ground before running to the bloody corpse of a sister. Holding Tilla’s remains, Bltizo sobbed as he tried to get those lifeless eyes to look at him with the love and warmth that he remembered from his kind, big sister. How she took care of him when he was sick or injured. The times she laughed as he did his own personal theater performance while encouraging him to follow his dreams of being a musical actor. Her heavenly voice that she sang helped teach Blitzo to sing. All of those happy moments were unable to stop him from crying as he held his dead sister covered in her gore and guts.

Closing his eyes, Blitzo held her close to his chest. “Tilla...I’m sorry...I’m so sorry....please don’t die...don’t leave me...”

“...Why couldn’t you save me, brother?” 

Blitzo gasped upon hearing that voice. The voice of his other half. He slowly looked at the bleeding and bullet-ridden form of a lighter reddish imp with ram-like horns. Her face was just like his, but feminine, and she had white tattoos all over her arms. Yet the only thing that Blitzo paid attention two were the bullets in her chest and back as she continued to bleed out in his arms. “B-Barbie?”

He could never forget her face because it was his other half. His twin sister had once been the best friend he ever had. When others picked on him for being weak and spineless, Barbie was there to fight them off. She would be the one to play with him when nobody else did, and she never once laughed at his jokes. They were a team, both on the stage and off it, and hundreds to thousands applauded them for their act. Yet when it did end, she had died, and he had lived with a hole in his chest that, to this day, never could be filled.

“Why did I...have to die...brother?” Barbie asked with tears in her eyes. She coughed up blood as she touched his tear-soaked face. “Why couldn’t it have been you?”

“I...I tried to save you, Sis,” Blitzo sobbed, lowering his head in shame. “I wasn’t...I wasn’t as brave as you...or as strong as Dad...or as smart as Tillie. I was weak...”

“...weak...pathetic...a loser...” Barbie whispered as her eyes slowly closed. “If only you had died...if only...” 

She closed her eyes and stopped breathing, much to Blitzo’s horror as his twin sister lived her last. “Barb? Barbie?! No! _Nonononnonononononono!_ ” He begged as he held her close. “Not again! Please, Barbie! Don’t die again! I need you! _We’re a team to the end! Remember, Sis?!_ **_Please don’t die!”_ **

But she didn’t respond. She just was a limp corpse that Blitzo couldn’t have saved. His twin sister, his best friend, the one who always made him smile. The one who never laughed at his hopes and dreams. They were always together for so long and now...

“Why...why couldn’t it be me...why did I have to live?”

“Because you’re a fucking curse.”

Gasping, Blitzo slowly looked behind him and saw an imp that made him whimper due to the hateful glare directed at him. He suddenly felt like a small tiny imp again, unable to stand up to himself against the man he knew as his father. His father was one of the tallest imps Blitzo had ever seen. A mountain of a man with thick muscles despite his thin frame. His black and white horns were shaped like a bull with his white hair combed behind him along with a white goatee. His face was adorned with black and white clown makeup while he wore a set of blue overalls and brown pants. His dark green shoes and gloves were covered in blood, and his long red tail swished back and forth yet was big enough to crush a neck with ease.

“D-Dad...” Blitzo muttered as he looked upon the imposing figure. An imp who had been tough but fair and installed in Blitzo the most important words he uttered about family. Yet these eyes before him were not of a stern but caring father, but one with utter contempt for Blitzo.

“You killed them. You killed your sisters, just like you did with your mother. From the day you were born, you were nothing but a curse upon this family,” His father spat.

Despite holding his sister’s dead body, Blitzo lifted himself and looked upon his father with fear and sorrow. He felt like a worm, squirming, and cowering before the imp in front of him. “It wasn’t my fault! I tried! I tried to save them, Dad! Please, belie-”

_SMACK!_

A harsh blow from his dad’s backhand sent Blitzo flying across the tent while dropping his sister’s corpse on the dirt. Blitzo could feel his teeth nearly shatter from the blow as he looked around the tent in horror. Without warning, it was starting to catch on fire with the flames dancing around like slithering snakes. His father just continued to glare at him as Blitzo scuttered away with a bleeding lip.

“You’ve always been pathetic. Whining and messing up everything! You screwed up when we were alive, and you screwed up when we died! What kind of a man are you? One who acts like an asshole who wants everything to go his way and bitches when it doesn’t! What kind of boss are you?! You treat your employees like shit despite wanting to keep them close because they’re the only friends you got! What kind of father are you?! One who has no respect or love from a hellhound that he couldn’t protect when the world hurt her and broke her spirit?! How could anyone care about you?! How could anyone, much less a prince, love you?!”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Blitzo shouted, growling as he rushed for his dad. He tried to punch him but just went through him like he was made of air.

“I can’t believe I died saving your sorry ass,” His father snorted as the flames got closer and closer around them. Blitzo gasped and tried to find a way out, but they were surrounded. His father just let the fire engulf him but not before saying, “You don’t deserve a family, Blitzo. You just deserve to suffer for your sins.”

Blitzo gasped and began to panic, his heart pounding nearly out of his chest. There was no way out. The fire was around him as clawed hands reached out and held him down. He screamed as the hellfire burned his clothes away and left him naked in the embers. The scolding pain entered deep into this soul to the point that everything just plain fucking hurt.

He began to fall into an endless cataclysm of fire and darkness. His screams unheard amidst the mocking laughter from voices all around him. He saw, in the darkening hellish flames, the sinister faces of many targets he had killed in the past, both demon and human. All of them were reaching out and ripping him apart with their burning claws, tearing him apart. He screamed and pleaded for mercy, but there was none. 

_“Murderer.”_

_“Killer.”_

_“Assassin.”_

_“What did I do to deserve death?”_

_“Selfish prick. You got hard from killing me, didn’t you.”_

_“Was my life just a joke to you?”_

_“I had a family!”_

_“I had kids!”_

_“I was seven years old! And you murdered me!”_

_“You deserve to die.”_

_“You deserve to die!”_

_“YOU DESERVE TO DIE!_

_“YOU SHOULD JUST DIE!_

_“DIE!”_

_“DIE!”_

**_“DIE!”_ **

**_***_ **

Gasping, Blitzo opened his eyes and looked around. There was no fire or faces of those he killed. He patted himself and saw his clothes had returned, and there was no damage. Looking around, Blitzo realized he was back in Imp City again by some abandoned alley near the main street. There were...bodies everywhere...with familiar weapons impaling them. Rows of imps and other demons lay on the roads with expressions of horror in their last moments. Glowing white spears, swords, and bullet holes had torn through them like a hot knife with butter. His eyes widened upon realizing they had all been killed by Angel weapons. Which meant it was Extermination Day.

“Moxxie! Please, get up! Get up! Please don’t die, Moxxie!”

“M-Millie?” Blitzo whispered, looking around. “M-Moxxie?”

He got up and looked around the alley before slowly making his way forward. There was no sound from the city. All was dead quiet like a graveyard. He then heard sobbing as two figures could be seen at the end of the alley. “Millie?! Moxxie?! Is that you?!” 

Blitzo picked up the pace. He had to make sure his employees were okay. He _needed_ them to be okay. 

Upon reaching the end, Blitzo felt his heart stop, and his face turned pale. Falling to his knees, Blitzo sat there in stunned silence as Millie wept before him. “M-Moxxie?”

It was his Moxxie. The closest thing he had left to a best friend in this world. He saw him there with an angelic spear right through his heart along with a dozen glowing white daggers in his legs and arms. His face was broad eyed in terror as blood dripped from his eyes, nose, and mouth, combined with the other wounds that made for a pool of blood against the wall he laid on. 

“H-How...” Blitzo slowly turned to a package nearby. One that had his name on it. The memories came to him like a truck at full speed. The early dated Extermination Day. When he sent Moxxie out to deliver a package to Stolas without any of them knowing that the event had been changed. But...but Moxxie survived...didn’t he?

“It’s all your fault!” Millie shouted as she glared at Blitzo with such hate it made him back away. “My sweet Moxxie died because of you! You selfish bastard!”

“I...I...” Blitzo tried to breathe, but he couldn’t. His heart was pounding, and he wanted to crawl into a rock. Tears dripped down his eyes as he stared at the corpse of his employee. “Moxxie...he...I...”

“What did I expect from a boss like you?!” Millie laughed harshly. “You never cared about either of us. You just saw us as toys to be used by you like a child! Not as real people! You mocked and belittled him like a bully when all he wanted was your respect! But you didn’t care! You never did!”

“N-no! No, that’s not true!” Blitzo shouted, sobbing into his hands. “I cared about Moxxie! I care about you, Millie! Both of you are part of my family! Please, believe me!”

Millie slowly pulled out a handgun and pointed it to her head. “Liar. A liar to others and a liar to yourself, Blitzo. It...It should have been you.”

“Millie! Noooo!” Blitzo shouted, getting up to stop her, but it was too late. Millie pulled the trigger, blowing her brains out, before landing beside her husband. _“Millie! Moxxie!”_

He tried to get to the married couple but found himself falling again as the world shattered around him. _“Millie! Moxxie!_ **_Please, come back!”_ **

**_***_ **

He cried out their names, even when the darkness faded and brought him to a forest at the break of dawn. Blitzo yelped before landing on the ground with a bone-crushing thud. Blood came out of his mouth upon impact, and his ribs were killing him along with a broken heart. His two employees. His best friends. They were dead, and it was all his fault. He killed Moxxie and Millie. They were gone, and he was to blame.

He sobbed into his arms as he laid there on his stomach, trying to hold back the tears but failing. Millie's accusation could still be heard in Blitzo’s ears, and, deep down, he knew she was right. How far had he pushed Moxxie around like a dick? What if he pushed too far or did something that endangered them all. No, he had done that multiple times, but did he ever stop? He knew, deep down, why he did it to Moxxie. 

Because Blitzo saw himself when he looked at the young imp. He was seeing the young childish Blitzo who wanted to act and not be a circus clown. The one who was small, angry, and picked around with no respect. The one who was so weak and pathetic he couldn’t save his sister from being raped and murdered, his father sacrificing himself, and his twin sister dying in his embrace. He hated that Blitzo so much that he just did everything he could to never be like that again.

Yet, here he was. Weeping and acting pathetic because he was still too weak to save those he loved despite all his time trying to be a stronger person. 

“Blitzy?”

Gasping, Blitzo got up and looked ahead to where he saw a shocked and surprised Stolas waiting for him. “S-Stolas?”

“Blitzo! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Stolas rushed over and helped the imp up. Never in Blitzos life had he been happy to see the owl prince staring at him with such concern and care. “Oh, Blitzo, what happened to you? You just ran off, and I lost sight of you.”

“I...was I...was I dreaming?” Blitzo asked, rubbing his head. He felt wrong. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what. 

Slowly, Blitzo felt wrapped up in Stolas’ embrace. “Oh, Blitzo, it must have been a terrible nightmare, but I’m glad I found you. There is something I’ve meant to tell you...”

Blitzo sighed in relief and felt the owl prince's warm feathers shelter him from the cold wind. He presses his horned head against Stolas’ chest and his beating heart. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Blitzo felt safe. “What is it?”

“...I’m breaking up with you.”

Blitzo’s eyes widened as he slowly backed away. His mouth dry and his heart weeping as Stolas looked at him with glowing red eyes and a sinister smile. “W-what? B-But I thought...”

“Oh, come on. Like I would ever _really_ love an imp-like you? A loser who is going nowhere in life? I admit you were a good lay, but I’ve had better,” Stolas laughed with such a high hoot that it made Blitzo’s ears hurt.

“But...but...” Blitzo couldn’t speak. He felt his world-shattering around him along with his soul. He thought...he thought for the first time since... **_her_ **...that he had found someone, at last, that could fill the gap in his heart. Stolas, smirking, reached to the imp’s chest and said, “I believe you don’t need this anymore.”

With a sudden thrust, Stolas’ talons went straight into Blitzo’s chest and ripped out his heart from the inside. Blitzo, crying in sorrow and heartbreak, stared at his beating heart for a few minutes before Stolas put it in his mouth and began to eat it in one gulp.

“Mmmm, such a good broken little heart, Blitzy. Tastes like your cock. Small, naive, and pathetic.”

Blitzo felt his eyes roll against the back of his head as he felt the world spinning around. His heart area continued to hurt even though there was nothing left inside. He felt his body melt into the grass, and his spirit breaking itself from despair. He thought...he wanted there to be something between him and Stolas...but was there anything? No, there never was...it was just... a dream.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the darkness to embrace him. To shut him forever in its cold embrace. He had nothing to live for anymore. His family. Moxxie and Millie. Stolas. All of them were... were...

_“Daddy!”_

“Loona!” Blitzo’s eyes opened up as he lifted himself from the ground. The moment he heard her voice, pitched in desperation, he felt his energy come back. He got up and looked around. The forest was dark now, and there was no sign of Stolas. He quickly checked his chest and sighed in relief upon seeing everything where it was supposed to be. He got up and looked around the forest. “Loona?! Where are you?!”

_“I don’t know where you are, Daddy! I’m scared!”_

He heard her coming from the west, and he rushed forward without hesitation. “Hold on, Loony! Daddy’s coming!” 

Pushing himself to every limit he had, Blitzo ran as fast as he could without stopping for even a moment. He jumped over every stone, flipped over every log, and kicked through every bush to get to his beloved daughter. 

He would not lose her like he lost the others. She was everything to him, and the only reason he was still alive to this day. That day he found her all those years ago was the first time he felt alive in nearly a hundred years since losing...losing... **_her._ **

For 19 years, he had taken care of that little hellhound Blitzo found in the woods, lost and hungry. He would burn the world for her and kill anyone who stood in his way. Blitzo would face off against God and Lucifer together if it meant keeping her safe and happy. He didn’t care if she appreciated it or not or disrespected him most of the time. He did all this because he loved his daughter, and that was enough. She had given him something that he hadn’t felt in years: a purpose and a sense of love. Hearing him call him daddy for the first time when she was ten months old was still among the happiest memories in his life.

Blitzo had lost his chance to have a child once. He would not lose the one he raised on his own

“God, please! I don’t care what happens to me! Just not to her! _Not to her, God! I beg you!”_ Blitzo shouted in prayer, running faster and faster. 

The forest was starting to get more and more familiar. Blitzo saw things that reminded him of better times. A time when he was truly happy and yet divided in his actions. A picnic blanket and basket set up near a willow tree. A giant Ferris Wheel with bright lights and balloons. A wedding bell ringing in a stand.

All of these slowly made Blitzo realize what was happening, and while this forest seemed so familiar. It was here that he made his greatest mistake. The one thing that he spent nearly a hundred years to bury so far deep into his memory that he would never think about it again. All those mental walls and defenses he had built were coming down in shambles. Memories of the happiest time in his life soon appeared like flashes in his mind, but with each memory was the grueling harsh final one that ruined it all. The one thing that genuinely damned him both in mind and in spirit. Knowing that his daughter was involved now in such a moment made Blitzo push himself even faster.

He ended up making his way towards the hauntingly familiar Roaring Twenties style mansion where Blitazo spotted the glass ballroom entrance nearby. The various mafia dancing with their husbands, wives, and guests as music played in the hall. And all of them were ignorant in knowing of the horrible fate that awaited them tonight. He needed to stop it. Stop it before it happens. 

“Stop! Get out! Everyone get out!” Blitzo screamed, rushing towards it with his lung screaming for air. He was so far away, and yet he felt so close to it. Desperate, he shouted even louder. _“Get out! There are bombs inside! You have to get out!”_

Getting closer, Blitzo finally saw Loona, but not the adult she was now. Instead, it was a little seven-year-old version of his beloved hellhound girl in a fancy pink dress who stared at him with emotionless eyes. Her stoic face was like one of judgment as he paused for a second upon seeing her. She was holding onto someone. A figure that made Blitzo go silent in both awe and in horror. It was a person he wanted to forget, yet deep inside, he never could. She was there whenever he saw Millie and Moxxie making loving faces towards each other. There at the corner of Blitzo’s mind whenever he made love to Stolas. The future Blitzo was denied with her every time he saw a family walk by with their children. All by his own bloodstained hands.

She represented everything Blitzo had done wrong in his life and bore the sin that he carried to this day. Everything he had done since that day was to make him forget to the point where he didn’t even seem alive anymore. It was just an endless circle of killing, drinking, fucking, and partying until he found himself in a shallow grave alone and unloved. A fate he no doubts about deserving. Until he found Loona all alone, and she reminded him what they could have had. 

Blitzo didn’t just save Loona’s life. She had saved his life as well. Now she was holding the arm of the very one who caused Blitzo the reason he needed to be saved in the first place.

“Zella...” Blitzo whispered upon seeing the lizard-like female staring at him in her dark blue dress. 

Her clear green-bluish scales were mesmerizing to look at, like the night sky at midnight, along with her soft grey underbelly that was smooth as water. The curved and gentle body that Blitzo memorized just by the touch alone under many passionate nights. Nights he had only ever felt similarly with Stolas in their strange, uncertain relationship, which only further caused confusion in his mind on their status together. Her calm and yet angelic face made one question if she had angel blood inside of her. Just by her yellow silted eyes of warmth could Blitzo feel like his soul was ascending above. How long had he wished to see those eyes again after nearly a hundred years of trying to forget they even existed. Her top scales, where one could see her horns', held a crown of roses, her favorite, and feathers from various birds. 

“Blitzo...” she whispered with a smile. She echoed into Blitzo like music to his ears. His heart longing for her like a camel to water. Blitzo made a step to reach out to her...

**_BANG! BANG!_ **

“Gah!” Blitzo cried out as he felt his kneecaps blow off from behind. He collapsed into the grass, his legs a bloody mess, as he coughed out blood. “Fuck! What the fuck?!”

He heard footsteps get closer to him, and he turned his head only to wonder if he was going mad. Because the one who had shot him, holding a smoking pistol in his hand was an exact copy of himself. His own grinning face looked at Blitzo with amusement as the downed one struggled to get up. The doppelganger knelt before Blitzo and pointed the gun at his head, freezing the original in place.

“W-What are you doing?!” Blitzo cried out, spitting in anger. “Who the hell are you!”

“You, dumbass,” Fake Blitzo said, snorting in amusement. “And I’m here to fulfill my revenge, of course.”

“Revenge?” Blitzo wondered before his eyes widened. It all came back to him. The party. Zella. The bombs. His revenge that he had planned years to avenge his family. “N-no! Stop! You can’t!”

“Why not? Didn’t we swear we were going to do whatever it takes? To not give a fuck about anyone or anything else? Didn’t it feel great just finally killing them all and getting drunk afterward?” Fake Blitzo asked as he got up. “Don’t you remember it?”

“No! I never wanted to remember it!” Blitzo shouted, tears in his eyes. “You have to stop!”

“I can’t because this is what you wanted,” Fake Blitzo said, snorting. “Don’t be such a pussy. It’s not like you really care about them, or anyone.” He grinned down at Blitzo, who was staring at him in horror. “You don’t care about anyone anymore. You numbed yourself so you couldn’t feel that pain ever again. You love nobody but yourself. That was what you promised afterward, wasn’t it?”

He raised himself up and began showing his fingers one by one. “Let’s count your so-called family? Loona? She’s just a pretend daughter for something you’ll never have in real life. That spineless shrimp, Moxxie? He’s a weak, pathetic loser who reminds you of your former self, so you just kick him around because it feels good hurting him, doesn’t it? That psycho lapdog Millie? The only reason you keep that crazy bitch is that she’s good at killing and says yes to you like a good little bitch. That rich asshole, Stolas? The only reason you’re fucking Stolas is that you just need his book, and you know that deep down, there is no future for you two.”

“N-no! That’s not true! They’re my-”

“Your family died years ago, Blitzo,” Fake Blitzo said, poking him in the nogging. “Getting it through you’re fucking thick skull. No amount of pretending your employees are family is going to change that. It’s not like you’re a good ‘family man’ yourself. You don’t care about any of them for who they are or what they want in life. You just care that they give you the satisfaction of a fake family because that’s what you are. A fake pathetic wannabe who's just good at killing people because that’s all you’ve ever done in your life. From the moment you were born and killed your mother, you’ve always been a cursed soul.”

“...no...I....” Blitzo tried to speak, but he couldn’t. He slowly lowered his head and wept. “Yes...fine...whatever...just please...don’t hurt Loona and Zella...please stop...I’ll admit whatever you want...I’ll do whatever you want...just please...”

“Hmmm,” Fake Blitzo tapped his chin before shrugging. “Nah, I wanna see the look on your face.”

With that said, Zella took Loona by the hand and entered the glass ballroom, much to Blitzo’s horror. “No! Stop! Loona! Zella! _Don’t go in there!_ ”

“Too late!” Fake Blitzo said as he pulled out a detonator.

_“No!_ **_NOOOOO!_ ** _”_ Blitzo shouted as he got up, despite the pain in his legs, and ran for the door. Time seemed to slow down as he pushed himself, tears sailing from his eyes, as he screamed for his daughter and old lover to run. To just catch them and save them. Or if he couldn’t, then to join them in the fiery end. 

Anything was better than being all alone again. 

Yet, a second later, an explosion rocked the entire building and blew it to pieces. Blitzo screamed, both from the pain and the horror, as the blast sent him sailing into the air, calling the names of the most important people in his life.

Everything circled around him in a blaze of fire and darkness as he screamed for everything to just stop and end. It finally did when he landed again on the harsh black desert. The same one he found himself in the first time he arrived in his nightmare world and would return after every session. He lost count around the fifth time this happened.

He just lay there, cradling himself while sobbing his eyes out. “Please...help me...please God...help me...”

It would be sometime before the nightmare would continue. But for now, the few precious moments Blitzo had in the silence of his despair was welcoming. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I've written for this story and the hardest one to write to date. The entire chapter is basically what I see Blitzo's true self really deep inside. Something happened to him that makes him into what he is today, and deep down he hides his feelings under a persona of ego and showmanship. His desire to have a family most likely stems in a twisted response to his own tragic backstory involving his family in a messed up way in order to regain that happiness he once had or never had. However, while he wants and accepts love and affection, Blitzo seems to have problems giving that back and he needs to learn love, and responsibility, goes both ways for it to mean anything which is what I think he'll learn in the show. 
> 
> It also kinda of explains his situation with various characters including Loona, Moxxie, and Stolas. With Loona, she wants to love Blitzo as a father, but he treats her both as a daughter and a pet with a childish attitude. I think they do love each other, but what she also wants is respect from him and to be treated like a person and until he does that he'll never fully be "dad" in her mind. With Moxxie, I have a feeling Moxxie is what Blitzo used to be and was bullied a lot because of it, Moxxie he bullies back because he sees his old self who he hates, but at the same time he does care about him because he sees a reflection of him inside Moxxie. Stolas I think really does love Blitzo, but the love he gives to Blitzo is so alien to him that he doesn't know how to respond to it and is afraid of it. 
> 
> I could be wrong in all this, and I have very little to work on, but we'll see how things play out as episodes come out.
> 
> Two things I want to address that I know some people might point out. Yes, Blitzo is listed as 23 on the wiki and not over a hundred years old, but I kinda think its cooler to have him older, plus it would fit better for him for the father figure I have made for him since in canon Loona is 19, meaning the earliest she had to have been adopted by Blitzo would be 14 years old if we go by canon age. I just think its more adorable to have her adopted as a baby.
> 
> As for "Zella", yes she is an OC and she is an old flame of Blitzo's I made in this story from his past. According to Vivziepop, Blitzo is pansexual so he can have sex with females. The story is still Blitzo/Stolas, but the idea of Blitzo having a past lover he cared about and lost helps with the dynamic for the romance part. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable. Let me know what you think in the comments. Like and subscribe and all that. Please share this fanfic on anything from twitter to youtube to tv tropes to discord threads.


	14. The Rescue (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue to save Blitzo goes underway.

The moment Moxxie touched the ground, he regretted not taking a helmet when he had the chance. Immediately, desert sand smacked him in the face from a gust of wind, which nearly made him choke. It reminded him of that one job they had in Arizona where the client requested his ex-wife be buried up to her neck in the sand with scorpions laid around her screaming face before leaving her to die a slow death. He had sand in places Moxxie never wanted to feel again. 

Thankfully, there weren’t any sandstorms or high winds, save for the occasional breeze. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were focusing on breaking into the expensive-looking summer home nearby, the young imp would have been fascinated by the red and black desert landscape. The hellish moon above gave it an almost glittering reflection that sort of looked beautiful—a rare thing to find in Hell.

“Moxxie, get over here,” Grimbeak said, snapping Mox out of his thoughts. He quickly rushed over to the cliff's ledge and crawled down to his belly with the other snipers. Taking his Barrett M82 Rifle, Moxxie started to scope out the big summer home. It looked a lot more modern than the typical gothic structures that _Goetia_ demons used, like Stolas. It even had a big fancy swimming pool the size of Moxxie’s apartment complex. 

“There are a lot of Tangos outside,” One of the other shadow guards stated. “We won’t be able to take them all out with one shot each.”

“Can we at least take out enough so that Team 3 has a perfect chance for a surprise entrance?” Grimbeak asked.

“There’s a good location at the top,” Moxxie noted, eyeing the roof of the building. “About seven guards. Breaching from above should do it.”

“Copy that.”

Grimbeak touched the side of his helmet and spoke. “Team 1, we’re going to eliminate the guards on the top roof. That should be your breaching point. Team 2 will have to go in loud from the ground, but we’ll give support. Over.”

_“Team 2 confirms. We’re already ready in position. Over.”_

Moxxie took a quick look at the walls and other entrances where various squads were positioning themselves. Near the south wall, he spotted his wife, Loona, Reginald, and a few others getting ready. Bodies of nearby tengu and owl demons lay hidden nearby. 

_“Team 1 confirms and is standing by for teleportation once it's clear Team 3. Over.”_

“Team 3 confirms. Over.” Grimbeak said before nodding to several snipers on his left. Unlike Moxxie’s rifle, theirs held silencers, and they quickly got to work eliminating the guards on the rooftop. In less than five seconds, Moxxie saw all their heads explode into piles of mush without so much as a cricket chirping. “Tangos on the roof are down. Team 1, you are clear to teleport. Over.”

_“Roger. Over.”_

Through his scope, Moxxie saw a portal open up before Prince Stolas, and half a dozen of his shadow guards arrived on the roof. The prince started placing a rune on the top that was glowing bright white before stepping back.

_“Team 1, ready to breach on the roof and other locations. Over”_

_“Team 2, also ready. Over.”_

“Team 3, ready to provide covering fire,” Grimbeak said as he prepared his sniper rifle. 

Moxxie quickly tried to scope out a target and found a tengu sipping tea near a balcony while two of his other fellow Yokai were chatting with one another. Taking into consideration the wind and angle he was in, Moxxie positioned the crosshair just below the navel and slightly to the right. With a deep breath, Moxxie concentrated and put his finger right against the trigger. 

_“On my mark,”_ Prince Stolas commanded as the world seemed to go quiet for a full minute. _“Mark!”_

Moxxie pulled the trigger, his rifle roaring in the night sky along with dozens of other rifles. Explosions rocked the building as breacher charges went off along with panicked cries and shouts of gunfire. Moxxie saw his target’s chest explode with a direct hit and quickly adjusted his aim for another one. The tengu to his right was surprised initially but then summoned a magical energy shield to protect him. Not that it did any good as the next shot from Moxxie went right through the protection spell and into his lower chest. Moxxie went to go get the next one, but already it was dead from another sniper shot.

Moxxie continued to take shot after shot at any target he could spot. Some of them were outside, while others were unfortunate enough to be spotted near windows. Switching to the more luxurious windowed areas, he saw a few bodies hiding behind walls while taking shots outside. Grinning, Moxxie lined up his shots and ensured that they weren’t as safe as they thought they were in their final moments. Thanks to his special Anti-Personal rounds, he could shoot them right through walls and leave them in a pool of blood. 

Reloading after bagging his latest kill, Moxxie soon saw Loona and Millie fighting their way through some tengu from one of the windows. The hall they were in was painted red with blood and guts of their victims. Noticing one of the tengu heading for Loona from behind, Moxxie quickly aimed and fired right through the glass, nailing a perfect headshot. 

Smirking, he spoke on his radio. “You owe me one, Loona.”

_“I had him, asshole.”_

Shaking his head, Moxxie focused on finding another target while hoping the girls would be okay.

***

The moment the breach went off, Loona rushed in howling with rage. All the anger and sorrow she had kept inside since that phone call two days ago was about to be unleashed, and she didn’t care who was in her way. Loona was going to kill them all to get her dad home safe and sound. Drawing her Damascus Steel M1911, Loona began to fire away at any of the owl or raven like figures before her. The special bullets really did seem to do wonders as a small burst of white and blue energy emerged from the wounds, causing any of the owl Goetia demons to go down like dominos. 

By the time the rest of the group entered, she had already cleared out their starting room before moving to the next. Pushing herself as fast as possible, Loona ran into what appeared to be some kind of lounge. She started firing her pistols, but these guys were already armed and ready for her. Even the maids were firing guns. Seeing herself outgunned, Loona quickly rolled over to a wall to take cover from some machine gunfire. 

Reloading, she saw Millie and two shadow guards rush over on the other side. One of the guards pulled out a flashbang and pulled the pin before throwing it into the room. 

Upon hearing it go off, Loona rushed in, guns blazing. She took out two of the owl demons and then proceeded to jump onto a nearby table and started sliding on it. Firing, she took out two more before landing at the end, where she shoved her knee into a blind tengu demon. Landing on top of him, Loona dove her jaw into his throat and ripped it out. Licking the blood off her muzzle, she saw Millie shoot another tengu with her shotgun, splitting it in half, while the other two shadow guards finished off the rest in the room. 

“Slow down a little, Loona. Don’t want to get too deep in our necks. Remember, we’re the team trying to save Blitzo,” Millie pointed out.

“Whatever, just keep up already!” Loona shouted as she ran out of the room.

Entering the hallway, the group saw a row of tengu demons, katana’s out, rushing towards them. The group fired, but to their surprise, they were fast enough to block the shots with their katanas at lightning speed and reflect them back at the group. Loona and Millie were quick enough to duck, but their two allies were soon shredded by their own bullets and fell in a heap.

“Shit, now what?” Loona asked, looking at her guns and realizing they were useless.

“I got this. I just hope it works!” Millie said, switching for her MP5. She fired at the tengu and, just like before, they blocked the bullets fast enough with their swords. What they didn’t expect was their katanas to slowly turn to ice instead of reflecting the shots. 

"Hot damn! It did work!" Millie shouted, looking at her ice firing gun with glee.

“Okay, that works,” Loona said, charging forward while switching her pistols for her MAC-10. “Cover me!”

Charging forward, Loona held down the trigger, forcing the tengu to summon magical barriers to protect them. Millie provided cover, her bullets damaging the shields, as Loona got close enough to use her claw to swipe at the leg of a tengu and forced him onto his knee. Dodging an iced katana strike to her chest, Loona then used the bent knee to jump up and wrap her legs around the tengu’s neck. Using her weight downward, she flipped him over with her legs, gripping his head into the floor. Loona raised her gun and fired at his skull, filling him up with bullets before rolling to the right to avoid a downward slash that tried to split her head in half. Grabbing the nearby dead tengu’s iced katana, she slashed around and started clashing with some of the tengu's blades. 

Naturally, she wasn’t as skilled as the actual tengu when it came to blade combat, but with assistance from Millie and the others, Loona was forcing them between defending against her or their bullets. Still, Loona was no expert in sword combat, and the tengu, despite their predicament, was skilled enough to force her back and cut her a few times despite her efforts. Particularly a nasty one that dug deep into her shoulder. 

Blocking a slice, Loona held her wounded arm while pushing one tengu away. Knowing she had to get creative, the hellhound attacked the nearest tengu with a few strikes before locking blades with it. Grinning, she took out her MAC-10 with one paw and unloaded a full clip into his body, breaking the magic shield and getting a few holes in. She then finished him off by stabbing the iced katana into his head. Letting the auto-reload feature kick in, she started to fire her MAC-10 again, only this time one of the Tengu managed to slice the gun in half. Cursing, Loona backed away only to hear Millie shout, “Loona, duck!” 

Reacting on instinct, she felt Millie’s hand use her back to leap forward and block a blade aiming for her with the sword Reginald gave her. Unlike Loona, Millie was able to keep up with the tengu with her skill. Despite her size and smaller blade, Millie had managed to hold her own against multiple tengus with twists, flips, and ducks. With every dodge, she left a cut on their bodies and limbs to the point where she soon started to decorate herself in their blood. 

One tried to stab her from behind, but she managed to backflip over him while slicing his arms off in a mid twist. The tengu screamed before Millie landed behind him and stabbed him straight in the back.

Loona, not wanting to be outdone. Dived for another tengu and forced him on the defense by knocking his sword away. It tried to attack Loona with his claws, but she caught both of his arms before headbutting him in the face while using her jaw to bite off his big red nose. The tengu, holding his bleeding face, started cursing his mouth off before Loona blew his head off with her double-barrel shotgun, leaving him a burned corpse thanks to the Dragonfire shells. The two girls stood back to back as the remaining five tengu surrounded them, drawing second blades that were not iced earlier by Millie

“Got three on my side. You?” Millie asked. 

“Two little sons of bitches. Ready?” Loona asked, grinning as she reloaded.

“Always.”

Both girls charged forward as Loona made her way towards her two targets, who raised their katanas in preparation. The two tengu charged ahead and tried to slice at her together, but Loona slid on her knees, leaning her head back for the swords to pass right above her nose. Loona drew her pistols, turned around, and fired at the tengu, nailing the one to her left in the legs, but the right one was able to dodge. Using her canine legs, Loona launched herself into the air and plunged her claws deep into the back of the wounded tengu before biting into his neck. Screaming, the tengu swung his blade in an attempt to get him off, but Loona held on until she used her legs to push him into his fellow tengu while dropping his katana.

Grabbing it, Loona howled with fury before plunging the katana right through the chest of the first and straight into the second as she pinned them to the wall. Deciding to finish them off, she drew her double-barrel shotgun, pressed it against the tengu head in front of her, and fired with both barrels. A barrage of flaming shells burst both heads into popping like popcorn as their brain matter and guts decorated the windows. 

She was about to make a taunt when Millie shouted, “Loona! Behind you!”

Cursing, Loona tried to reload as a tengu attempted to attack her from behind. Suddenly, a bullet crashed through the window before hitting the tengu dead on with a perfect headshot. 

_“You owe me one, Loona,”_ Moxxie said on the radio.

Loona grumbled before reloading her shotgun. “I had him, asshole.”

“Sorry, Loona,” Millie said, wiping the blood off her blade as her two decapitated opponents lay on the floor. “He got away at the last second.”

Suddenly, their radios went off. _“This is Reginald of Team 2. We may have found the location of where they are keeping Blitzo. All members of Team 2 head to the living room with the elevator.”_

Loona and Millie were about to head off when a powerful explosion caused a part of the hallway to crumble. The two covered their faces from the dust and rubble before spotting someone who looked to be a male version of Stella land hard against the wall. He was covered in burn marks and bleeding wounds while struggling to get up. The girls wondered who this was until they froze upon seeing the blade in his hand. A bastard sword of glowing blue steel with white glowing runes on it in a language neither knew. Its handle had angel wings flapping as the guard while the center of the pommel had a glowing azure jewel. 

The girls gulped upon seeing the first real scary thing since the attack: An Angel Blade. 

Stepping out of the hole, the armored Prince Stolas walked out calmly like he was taking a simple walk in the park. Noticing the two, the demon prince turned to them. **_“Loona. Millie. I believe Reginald has found a way to Blitzo. Please head over there while I deal with Alexander here?”_ **

“Bastard! Don’t you look away from me!” The noble-looking owl demon screamed as he tried to attack with his sword. Stolas quickly blocked all the blows with his spear, causing waves of energy to emit each time the weapons each time they clashed. Both ladies looked at each other before slowly nodding that this was beyond their league and followed Stolas’s orders.

***

The moment Stolas burst into his in-laws' home, he held nothing back. His spear found its first target mere seconds upon bursting through the roof. Moving with the grace and speed of lighting itself, each demon that wasn’t among his shadow guards was pierced, sliced, or chopped before they could even so much as blink. 

His shadow guards didn’t even need to fire their guns once after it was all done. Honestly, he didn’t really need them, but he knew they would be stubbornly insisting on accompanying him everywhere. 

Much as he wanted to look for Blitzo, he needed an outlet to get rid of his rage over what had happened. Not to mention that Alexander and Natasha needed to be taken care of. He was also worried about this cloaked figure that Stella spoke about, but he felt no other presence strong enough to match her description of him. 

Proceeding down the hall, Stolas saw a long line of tengu demons, spears and swords drawn, ready to charge at him. Rolling his four eyes, Stolas lifted his hand and summoned a ball of fire. He tossed it into the hall with a few whispers where it took on the form of a gigantic towering winged lion that roared before flooding the hall with flames. The tengu screamed and cawed as they were burned to the bone, allowing Stolas to walk down a different direction without a care.

Turning around the corner, Stolas entered a billiard room where he soon found himself getting hit by gunfire, but his armor was undamaged. Like water droplets trying to break a rock open in two. Lifting his spear, Stolas charged and delivered a stab into the gut of one of the owl demons on his mother-in-law’s payroll. Lifting him up, Stolas then tossed the sack of meat and feathers aside before flaring out his wings. Small portals of purple energy appeared. From them, multiple glowing daggers of ethereal energy found their way into the other shooters, who became pincushions before they all exploded in a gory mess.

He was about to move on when he suddenly sensed something coming from the wall behind him and jumped back just as a burst of bright white energy caused the wall to crumble. Raising an eyebrow, Stolas found himself face to face with Alexander wielding his _Fallen_ father’s Angel Blade, _Blue Sky,_ which was pulsing with energy. 

“I supposed it was only a matter of time before you before you showed up,” Alexander hooted before pointing his blade at Stolas. “I take it you’re here for your boy toy?”

**_“That and to kill you, your mother, and everyone in his building,”_ **Stolas answered.

“Fuck you, Stolas!” Alexander growled as he stepped forward. “You’re a disgrace of a _Goetia_ and a disgrace of a Demon! Screwing around with your inferiors?! Working with Angels?! It’s going to be a pleasure killing you!”

Stolas snorted. **_“Please, Alexander. You couldn’t kill me even if you were using St. Micheal’s sword.”_ **

“Oh yeah?! I have the blood of my father, The Fallen Angel Malphas, coursing through my veins! I wield the mighty blade that he used in the Great War in Heaven! I am superior to you by my blood and heritage! Now prepare yourself!” Alexander proclaimed while swinging his weapon a few times in the air.

Stolas rolled his eyes before turning to shadow guards. **_“Leave him to me. Just kill the others.”_ **

They nodded and left, leaving the two owl demons to themselves. Alexander wasted no time in charging forward with his Angel Blade, but Stolas simply blocked the blow. Angelic and Demonic energy burst in the air with each clash between the sword and spear. Alexander tried to go for a double-handed chop from above, but Stolas flicked him back with one of his wings, cutting him in the process thanks to his armored feathers. 

Alexander fell into the hall but quickly got back up to barely block a blow from Stolas, who forced him near the grand staircase. Twirling his spear, Stolas used his many years of training to attack Alexander from all directions. Stabs, slashes, and cuts from left to right and up to down caused every swing to deliver some kind of blow on the idiot. Be it a scratch on his legs or a large gash on his back, Stolas was slowly carving away at the inexperienced noble.

“Gah! Stop it, you asshole!” Alexander shouted as he tried to swipe at Stolas but missed. “Okay, take this!” 

The runes on the Angel Blade began to glow as she tried to unleash a powerful explosion of white divine energy. Stolas stabbed his spear into the floor as a magical circle appeared before him and surrounded him with dark mystical energy. The celestial energy clashed with the shield for a short while before it dispersed, much to Alexander’s shock.

“W-what?! But ho-OAH!” Alexander’s stunned reaction gave Stolas enough time to deliver the bladeless end of his spear into his brother-in-law’s gut. Coughing up blood, Alexander tried to defend himself but was blown away by a wind spell face first that cut up his face like a potato peeler. 

Falling off the railing ledge, Alexander cried out in pain as he landed on the first-floor ground hard, his body bleeding and his feathers in a mess. Stolas extended his wings and rose up before gently descending. While doing so, he heard Reginald speak on the radio. _“This is Reginald of Team 2. We may have found the location of where they are keeping Blitzo. All members of Team 2 head to the living room with the elevator.”_

Landing in front of Alexander, Stolas pointed his spear at the panting owl demon and glared. **_“Had enough?”_ **

_“Fuck you!”_ Alexander screamed as he tried to fly forward, but Stolas expanded his palm and telepathically pushed him through the wall and into the hallways.

Slowly, Stolas walked out of the hole he made and noticed Loona and Millie across the hall in stunned silence. **_“Loona. Millie. I believe Reginald has found a way to Blitzo. Please head over there while I deal with Alexander here?”_ **

“Bastard! Don’t you look away from me!” 

Stolas sighed and quickly blocked another blow from Alexander. He kept trying to get through the prince's defenses, but he couldn't even get in a single strike. Finally, Stolas teleported behind him and knocked him into the nearby library with a slap from his wing. Fortunately for the little bitch, a few tengu were around and helped him up as Stolas calmly walked inside.

_“K-Kill him!”_ Alexander ordered, pointing to Stolas in fear.

The tengu charged forward only to suddenly freeze in place as Stolas unleashed his demonic aura. The entire library caught on fire as the books and scrolls were lit up like tinsel. The tengu, sweating in fear, fell to their knees in horror as the impact of Stolas’ power made their proud warrior spirit crumble. Alexander even looked horrified as a wet spot slowly appeared between his trembling legs.

Lifting his spear, Stolas let it levitate in the air before zooming right through each of the chests of the terrified tengu, who didn’t even get a chance to scream in pain. The floor was soon drenched in blood that slowly became a lake of guts and insides as Alexander looked upon Stolas with terror.

The Prince just stared at Alexander, who slowly began to move away. Flapping his wings, Stolas whispered, **_“Run.”_ **

And so Alexander did with Stolas not far behind. 

***

Much as Millie liked to have kicked the ass of one of the two noble pricks who took Blitzo as a hostage, she knew going up against a _Goetia_ demon with an Angel Blade was not going to be an easy fight. Besides, Stolas could handle himself. 

She and Loona arrived in a large living room with a grand piano as the shadow guards took spots guarding the entrance way. Near the end of the room was an elevator that Reginald was next to while a wounded and bleeding owl demon maid was trembling as he pointed a pistol in her face.

“You’re sure that this is where he is?” Reginald asked, glaring at her.

“Y-yes! I swear! There are other guards there, too!” the maid shouted before crying. “P-Please let me go...I have a dau-”

Reginald shot her in the face before she could finish and nodded to another shadow guard. “Get ready to deploy down. We’ll go first, followed by the rest of you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Turning to Millie and Loona, Reginald nodded. “Blitzo is down the dungeons below, but we don’t know what cell. We’ll have to search for them all. Got your teleportation crystals ready?”

Millie and Loona both showed theirs around their necks. 

“Remember, the first to find Blitzo uses theirs to teleport them to the hospital. Make sure you say it clear so it can hear it to activate the spell,” Reginald reminded before entering the elevator. “Now, let’s go.”

Millie and Loona entered along with three other shadow guards before activating the lift. The elevator closed, and they began to move down. Millie quickly checked her Remington Shotgun just as the door opened. Immediately, gunfire and magic began attacking the group, killing the shadow guards in front of her. Thinking quickly, she grabbed one of the dead bodies and charged forward, peeking out and noticing a robed owl demon firing magic blasts. With her shotgun in one hand, she pulled the trigger, releasing two shots that blew him away. 

Tossing the body aside, Millie pumped her shotgun before sliding behind a nearby wall to dodge gunfire. Peaking out of the corner, she saw three more owl demons hiding behind some wooden barrels and tables with machine guns. Loona, Reginald, and one of the wounded shadow guards were firing back in the elevator, taking cover by the sides. 

Just as she was about to peek away, Millie noticed a large wooden chandelier above two of the shooters and aimed for it. Firing, the object fell upon the guards, knocking them out and distracting the other, who then tried to run away. Millie drew one of her own personal knives and threw it at his leg. Her aim proved true as it dug deep into his femur and caused him to fall in agony. 

Giving a thumbs up to her partners, Millie aimed her shotgun at the frightened owl. “Where is Blitzo.”

“I’m not saying a thing you filthy imp who-”

**_BAM!_ **

_“FUCCCCKKK!”_ the owl demon screamed as he held his stump of a hand. 

“Want to lose a foot next?” Millie asked, pumping the shotgun.

“East wing! Last door! Please don’t-” His pleas were silenced by Loona shooting him in the head. 

“Get him up and bring back up,” Millie said as she pointed to the wounded shadow guard. “We’ll go get Blitzo!” 

Reginald helped the wounded shadow guard to the elevator and nodded. “We’ll be back soon.”

The two employees of I.M.P rushed forward, praying they weren’t too late to save their boss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been awhile since I've done a pure action chapter. Hope I did well. To answer a review from Fanfiction.net, no I am not going to have a StellaxStolasxBlitzo romance. It's BlitzoxStolas and MilliexMoxxie. 
> 
> Please like, fav, and comment! Please share this fic with others!


	15. The Rescue (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Octavia confronts her mother for her actions. Moxxie tries to make a difficult shot. Millie and Loona finally find Blitzo. And Stolas finishes the operation with one final kill

Every second that passed since Stolas left Stella alone in his office felt like an entire agonizing hour of uncertainty. She was no fool. The moment she arrived back home, Stella knew there were going to be consequences for her actions. The look of hatred in the eyes of Blitzo’s daughter, his employees, and her husband made it clear that they wanted her dead. Even Reginald was looking at her with disdain instead of the calm and respected glance he’d give. 

Not that it was any less than what Stella deserved. In her mind, she was just lucky to still be breathing. All she could do was hope that Stolas and his friends successfully saved Blitzo from his fate and stopped the madness Stella’s mother had been planning. After that? Well, she didn’t know. Stolas made it clear that a divorce was on its way and that her mother and brother were not long for this world. While a deep part of her wept for her family, it was clear they were going down a path that would ultimately lead to destruction, and she didn’t want to follow. No, they had made their own graves to lie in, but Stella would mourn for them when it was all over. 

Yet the one thing she wanted, now more than anything, was to see her precious daughter. The moment Stella hatched Octavia in this world, she swore she would do everything to make her dear owlet happy and safe. It was the main reason why she betrayed her husband and kidnapped Blitzo. If it was just her husband, or even both of them, alone facing the consequences for Stolas’ illegal actions with the imp, then maybe she wouldn’t have gone so far as she did. But the thought of Octavia suffering from it? Her entire future ruined because her husband couldn’t think with his brains instead of his cock? No, that she would rather die before letting it happen.

The door slowly opened, and Stella lifted her head to see if Stolas had returned. Instead, her gullet started to choke up upon seeing Octavia enter. She walked in silence, but the young owl demon’s expression was one of utter fury directed at a paling Stella. Her demonic aura was starting to spread, and every step forward only made it increase.

Gulping, Stella got up from her seat and walked over to her daughter. “Octavia, I-”

She didn’t get a chance to finish because Octavia, her little baby, smacked her across the face so hard it forced Stella to her haunches. Touching her red cheek, Stella felt a tooth nearly come out before looking up at the enraged teenager.

“How could you?” Octavia muttered as her talons clutched into a fist. She then roared so loud the windows nearly cracked. **_“HOW FUCKING COULD YOU?!”_ **

“Octavia...please...I’m sorry...” Stella whimpered, but this did little to please her daughter.

“Sorry?! You’re fucking sorry?! You know what that’s worth?! _Utter nothing!”_ Octavia screeched, pacing back and forth. “What the actual fuck were you thinking?! Why did you even do it?! Did you hate Blizo that much?! Did you hate Dad?! _Were you that fucking jealous he wasn’t screwing you that you had to go and kidnap my best friend’s father and have him tortured?!”_

“I did it for the family!” Stella shouted. She got up while leaking tears in her eyes. “I didn’t want to see our family ruined! I did it for us! _I did it for you!”_

She tried to reach out for her daughter, but Octavia violently pushed her way. “For me?! Bullshit! You did it for yourself, _you stupid bitch!”_ ****

“Octavia! I am your mother!” Stella shouted, gritting her teeth.

**_“YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER ANYMORE!”_** Octavia screamed so loud that this time the windows did shatter, as well as Stella’s heart.

The elder owl demon gasped and froze on the spot, clenching her chest as her daughter glared at her while tears dripped from her eyes. Octavia, bitterly, turned away and hugged herself while muttering, “Dad may be an overprotective dork who has embarrassed me more times than I can count, but he always let me grow into what I wanted to be! He never complained about the friends I made or the things I do, even if they’re not what someone in my status should be doing! Because he cares about my happiness!” Turning her head towards a nearby painting of the three of them smiling together in fancy clothing, Octavia sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I know you never approved of my friends or my actions, which were unbefitting a princess, but I thought you at least did it because you wanted what was best for me!”

She turned to her mother sorrowfully as she marched over to an equally crying Stella. “That alone made me trust you! Despite what you thought, I looked up to you! I thought you were strong, determined, and never let others stand in your way of doing what you wanted! That’s what I always wanted to be like as a person. Even if it was not the direction you wanted me to go, I did want to be like you! I thought you at least understood that!”

“Octavia...I...” Stella closed her eyes and turned away. “I...I just...”

“Did you ever think once that Dad and I wouldn’t be hurt by this? Did you even think about how Blitzo, Loona, Moxxie, and Millie would be affected by this?!” Octavia demanded. “I had to hold one of my best friends as she cried in fear of never seeing her father again! I’ve seen two brave imps risk their own lives to save their boss even when it nearly killed one of them! And that boss of theirs was willing to **_die_** to prevent his own kind, and dozens of others, from being wiped out by your sick and twisted mother! Yes, I did overhear that earlier!” A harsh laugh escaped from Octavia’s mouth. “Everyone says that the lower races are selfish and disloyal scum who deserve to be mistreated, but I’ve seen proof that’s a load of shit!” 

Taking a few deep breaths, Octavia just shook her head. “I knew you didn’t like them...but I never expected you to go so far as you did...I hate you. I hate you, and I will never forgive you.”

“Octavia, please!” Stella threw herself to her daughter’s waist. Lying on her knees, she sobbed into the still from her daughter. “I’m sorry! Please! I’m sorry, Octavia! Just tell me what I can do to make this right!”

Octavia slowly pulled away from Stella and coldly looked into her eyes. “The only thing I want is for you to leave and never come back. I never want to see you again, and I never want you to talk to me again. You’re dead to me, _**Stella**_.”

“Octavia!” Stella shouted, but her daughter was already walking across the room. **_“Octavia!”_ **

She didn’t stop crawling until she made it to the door, where they were shut and locked. Stella screamed and pounded on the door until she could no longer speak. Knowing that she had lost everything, the former princess and mother fell to the floor and wept alone in silence.

***

Moxxie was starting to run out of ammo, but thankfully there weren’t many targets left to take out. Every enemy outside was dead, and Team 1 was reporting that they had cleared most of the rooms. Usually, Moxxie would feel some kind of guilty for having massacred an entire household. However, considering what they had done for the past few days to his _family?_ Moxxie only wished he could have taken out more.

“Sir! I got a vehicle leaving the premise in the back!” one of the shadow guards alerted. “Looks to be an armored limo!”

“I see it! That’s Lady Natasha’s car! She’s trying to make a break for it!” Grimbeak shouted. “Anyone got a shot?!”

Many 'negatives' were heard as Moxxie turned his scope towards the other end of the home, where a long black car was making tracks. “Damn! It’s too far away!” Moxxie then got up while turning his face towards Grimbeak. “Can you fly me closer for a better shot?!”

“Can you hit a moving target in the air?” Grimbeak asked, eyebrows raised.

“I can and I will,” Moxxie said, readying the chamber. 

Nodding, Grimbeak levitated himself into the air with his mighty wings before grabbing Moxxie with his rear legged talons and taking flight. Moxxie gulped upon seeing just how high they were in the air, but he pushed his worries down to focus on getting their runaway. He honestly had never done something like this before. A shot like this was something only his _Dad_ could make, but he wasn’t going to let a single one of these bastards escape. 

Moxxie rarely ever thought about his Dad’s lessons on sniper training, but this time he felt like he had to. “Deep breath and calm yourself. The moment you agitate, the target is lost,” Moxxie muttered to himself as he slowly took gasps of air in and out. “The heart is your most important muscle. It will be what decides if you are a sharpshooter or a loser with a gun.”

He could feel his heart slowing down as Moxxie slowly took his Barrett M82 Rifle into his shoulder. “The rifle is not a tool. It is a part of yourself. Treat it as you would treat your dick. Carefully, and with pride. A single shot determines if you are a man or a pussy. Make the bullet your bitch and tell it who to fuck.”

His hands pressed against the handle and grip, making sure he wasn’t sweating to ruin the shot. Putting his eye near the scope, Moxxie continued to mutter, “Take notice of everything from the wind to your place on the ground. Adjust to find the perfect spot.”

Noticing that he wasn’t low enough, he told Grimbeak to go lower and then a little to the right. Moxxie made sure to ask Grimbeak to adjust his flight pattern every few seconds while focusing. “A split second is all it takes and when you have the moment...” The world seemed slow for Moxxie as he slowly read the path the car was going to take. “...take it.”

A single shot sailed across the desert’s scape before it found its target right on the right rear wheel. It exploded into bits of rubber as the car found itself suddenly jerking off its beaten path and heading straight for the cliff of the canyon. The driver tried to steer away, but it only made the car flip over a few times before going off the edge. Moxxie and Grimbeak landed right near it as they saw the expensive car slowly fall to its doom, crashing into the rocks before landing in a heap on the bottom. 

“Hope they had insurance,” Moxxie said, smirking. 

“Car or life?” Grimbeak asked with a chuckle. He reached for his radio and said, “Car is down. Doesn’t look like there are any survivors, but I want a team sent to the canyon to double-check. Over.” 

_“Roger. This is Team 1 Squad Leader Beta. All rooms are clear, and all Tangos are down. Prince Stolas is just dealing with Lord Alexander. Over.”_

“Copy that. We’re heading back.” 

Grimbeak then turned to Moxxie with a raised eyebrow. “Where did you learn to shoot like that? I’ve never seen anyone pull a shot like that in all my years.”

Moxxie sighed before looking up at the moon. “I learned it from my dad. Only thing I ever got that was useful from him.”

He turned around and started making his way back until, much to his embarrassment, Grimbeak pointed out, “You do know I can fly us there, right?”

***

Millie and Loona made sure to sweep every corner as they continued running down the prison cells' East Wing. So far, there had been no resistance, and it looked like the last of the guards had been the three they had dealt with previously. Millie bit her lip and hoped that Blitzo would be right at the end so they could get him the help he needed. 

The two of them were about to make it to the final corner when suddenly a gunshot nearly took Millie’s head off and forced the two to duck to the ground. She was about to fire her shotgun but froze upon seeing what the brown feathered owl demon was holding in his other hand while pointing a pistol at it. 

“Move, and the fucking imp gets it!” the owl demon shouted, pressing the barrel against Blitzo’s temple. Cursing, Millie kept her sights on the brown feathered asshole while Loona growled with her teeth showing. She took a moment to take a look at Blitzo and nearly dropped her gun in shock at the sight of her boss. The damage done to him was worse than she ever imagined. It almost looked like she was looking at a rotten red carcass instead of her cheerful and weird employer. The worst to look at was his expression. His mouth was foaming and bleeding black pus while his eyes rolled in the back of his head as tear marks cascaded down his face. Millie didn’t know if this was from the parasite or some other horrible thing they had done to Blitzo.

“Drop him, or we’ll kill you!” Loona shouted, aiming one of her M1911’s at his face. 

“Fuck that! He’s my only ticket out of here alive!” The brown feathered owl shouted, sweating up a storm. “I already know you’ve killed everyone else! You think I’m going to trust you to spare me?!”

“We just want our boss,” Millie said, narrowing his eyes. “If you let him go, we’ll let you go. You have our word!”

“Bullshit! Imps like you never keep your word,” The owl said, grinning like a mad man. “But you sure have nice tight assholes.” Millie and Loona’s eyes widened upon realizing what he meant, making the bottom of their stomachs sink down into a pit. The owl demon then licked Blitzo’s cheek with a wink. “Like this guy, right here?! Tight as a fucking bolt nut. I made sure he liked it really good.”

_“You motherfucker!”_ Loona shouted, fur going wild. “ _I’m going to take that dick of yours and make you choke on it!”_

“No! What you are going to do is drop your weapons and put your hands against the wall!” The owl demon shouted, nodding behind them. “You got ten seconds, or I just go ahead and blow his brains out!”

Millie looked at Loona, who was glaring back. The two knew they had to do something, but it had to be fast. There was only one thing that Millie could think of doing, and that took a significant risk. Still, what other option was there?

Millie winked at Loona, hoping the hellhound would trust her. Loona hesitated at first but then nodded and sighed. “Alright, fine. We’ll do it.”

The girls each dropped their weapons one by one, as well as their ammo clips. What the owl demon didn’t see was Millie dropping her MP5 close behind her feet. Afterward, they slowly put their hands up. “Well? Let him go,” Millie said, glaring at the asshole.

“Up against the wall! Face first!” The owl demon said, nodding to the stone wall behind them. Loona and Millie proceed to do so, but the latter quickly put her foot in front of her downed MP5. She then pretended to trip onto her knees. “Hey!” The owl pointed his gun at her. Millie quickly slipped one of her smaller throwing knives into her sleeve. “The fuck you doing?!”

“I tripped, okay?!” Millie said, holding her hands back up as she slowly got up. “I was just-”

Flicking her wrist, Millie threw the knife as fast as she could, aiming for the talons holding the gun. Her aim proved true as the dagger sank into the owl demon’s flesh, causing him to drop the weapon and Blitzo as he gripped his arm. Millie made a dive for Blitzo, catching him before he hit the ground while Loona launched herself at the screaming owl demon. 

Millie didn’t bother to check the carnage that Loona was doing and instead checked to make sure the boss was still breathing. Sighing in relief, Millie activated her radio. “This is Millie! We got Blitzo! Teleporting to the hospital right now!” 

She then turned behind her and shouted, “Loona! We need to move! Blitzo doesn’t have much time!”

“On it!” Loona said as she got off her motionless prey while covered in blood and feathers. Once Millie felt Loona’s paw on her shoulder, she shouted the name of the hospital, and the two disappeared in a blink of an eye.

***

Loona nearly lost her lunch upon landing face-first on the clean hospital floor. Yeah, it was official. She hated teleportation. Remembering her father’s condition, she got up and somewhat relaxed upon seeing the doctors already taking Blitzo onto a stretcher where the nurses and aides got to work. 

“Patient has an unstable heart rate! Check to see if it's from the stress of the nightmares or lack of blood. I also need fluids and nutrients prepared for him, stat! Give him that potion to neutralize the parasite, then I want him straight into surgery!” A tall classic looking devil figure shouted as he issued orders. The only difference he had from most was his face was like a demonic plague doctor’s mask with a mouth that seemed to move with razor-sharp teeth. 

Loona and Millie watched as they forced Blitzo to drink in a blue vial of smoking liquid before pushing him on his side. A second later, Blitzo’s body began to convulse before puke out black and moldy contents that smelled like rotten acidic meat. A small worm-like thing was among the puke that the devil doctor quickly scooped up in a jar before closing. He handed it off to a small imp assistant. “Get this analyzed at the lab. Alright, people, let’s move it!” 

Placing Blitzo back on his back, the hospital staff began to drag his stretcher bed down the hall and through a set of double doors where an “Emergency Room” was labeled above. Loona rushed forward and shouted, “Wait!” The devil doctor stopped and turned to the worried daughter. “Is my dad going to be okay?!”

“We don’t know,” the devil doctor said, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen a patient look this bad save for Extermination Day. For now, just pray he’ll be okay.”

Loona fell to her knees, tears dripping down her eyes, as Millie walked over and put her hand on her shoulder. “Loona, we got him back. Now we just gotta hope...”

Nodding, Loona slowly got up and closed her eyes. She remembered when her father told her that he once did something no demon ever did when she was very ill. He prayed to God. Now, Loona was also doing the unthinkable and started praying to him as well. She didn’t care what she had to do or what it took for him to listen, but the hellhound wanted that old man up there to listen to her prayer, just this once.

Or she was going to find a way up there and rip him a new one.

***

In all honesty, Stolas wasn’t expecting much from Alexander, but he didn’t expect it would be this boring and pathetic. The so-called proud and noble owl blueblood was running down the halls like his tail was on fire. Stolas decided to have a little fun by appearing before him with a simple teleportation spell, only to have little Alex scream and run away.

When Stolas heard that Moxxie and Grimbeak had taken care of Natasha’s little escape attempt while Millie and Loona managed to finally get Blitzo, he knew it was time to end this. Everyone else was already dead save for one last worm he needed to squish. 

Alexander had finally stopped running and collapsed from exhaustion at the entrance of the building. The entire place was littered with corpses of his servants, guards, tengu, and some of Stolas’ own men, but not by much. Alexander, tears in his eyes, tried to look for another route to escape, but each pathway was blocked by a web of dark energy that Stolas conjured with his magic. Realizing that this was the end, Alexander turned around, where Stolas slowly moved through the halls with his entire body glowing with an ebony aura. 

Lowering his head in defeat, Alexander threw his father’s blade into the dirt and began to kotow. “Please! Spare me, Stolas! I-I-I didn’t want to do it! Mother was the one who forced me! She and that friend of hers!” 

Stolas’s response was to push him off the floor and against the wall telepathically. Gasping, Alexander began to weep and beg even more. “I’ll give you anything! All our wealth! Our contacts! Businesses and properties! You can have our ancient spells and knowledge! Even my father’s blade! _Just spare me! I beg you!”_

**_“Really?”_ ** Stolas asked, pretending to be interested as he levitated the Angel Blade, _Blue Sky,_ towards him. **_“You know, Octavia is technically the granddaughter of Malphas. It’s only proper that she wields his blade as his heir.”_ **

“Y-yes! Octavia would be a lovely little princess with that bl **_AAAAAAAAHHHH!”_ ** Alexander found himself pierced against the wall as Stolas’ spear, **_Gáe Bulg,_ **found itself in his lower stomach. Spewing out blood, Alexander weakly lifted his hand towards a glaring Stolas. “Stolas...please...mercy...I’m...I’m...family...”

**_“Consider this a tearing of family ties,”_ **Stolas growled before taking the Angel Blade and using it to cut off Alexander's head. He watched as Alexander’s essence escaped from his neck, screamed, and then was absorbed by the very earth of Hell itself. The fate of all demons that were permanently killed. 

Sighing, Stolas felt his anger dim down as he slowly reached for his helmet and took it off to get some fresh air. Despite barely working up a sweat, he felt his feathers wet from experience and banished **_Gáe Bulg_ **away while letting Alexander’s body fall to the floor. 

A few moments later, Reginald walked over and bowed before his master. “Everyone in the household is dead, Sir. We’ve lost a few of our own, but not many.”

“Did we confirm Natasha’s death?” Stolas asked, looking at the Angel Blade in his hands. 

“We’re sending a group to make sure, but Grimbeak believes it's near impossible to have survived the fall. Even if she did, she’d be too wounded to move,” Reginald pointed out.

“Nevertheless, I want her, Alexander, and the rest of their staff in this house laid around inside the place. I want the bodies of our men returned back to the palace. I’ll...tell their families personally they died, but I’ll keep the nature of it a secret. Make sure to prepare their belongings to be sent to their homes and double the hazard and loss pay we normally give. If they request anything else, please let me know,” Stolas said, running his talons through his feathers with his eyes closed. Guilt began to eat inside of him that his people died doing this, but they had all sworn to him, and he would honor their memories as best he could. “Once all the bodies are taken care of, I want it blown up. Make it so that there is no trace of anything left. I want the official story to be run as a gas leak that killed everyone here. I don’t care who we bribe, just make sure nobody looks into this.”

“Understood,” Reginald said as he then took the blade from Stolas. “Now, my Prince, I think you and Moxxie should get to the hospital right away.” 

“...Reginald, be honest with me,” Stolas asked, closing his eyes. “Is it wrong that I am doing this for one imp?”

“...Stolas, I have served you since you were born, and I have been by your side since your parents died,” Reginald said, placing his hand on Stolas’ shoulder. “You are the most precious person in my life, and I could never ask for a better master to serve. All I have ever wanted was for you to be happy and safe. Blitzo makes you happy, doesn’t he?”

“...yes,” Stolas answered with a small smile. “I’ve never felt more alive than when I am with him.”

“Then I will serve him as I have served you because of that reason,” Reginald said with a nod. “Now go. He needs you.”

Stolas nodded and quickly ran out of the build via its entrance to find Moxxie. His heart no longer desired revenge or justice. Now it only wanted the one he loved with all his soul. 

His Blitzy. 

***

Natasha had no idea how she was alive, but she praised Satan for giving her a second chance. It took all her remaining strength to kick the door open, but she managed to do so with a bloody leg. Gasping for air, Natasha dragged herself out of her wrecked car and cursed upon feeling her body half broken and half maimed. Her entire feathery body was covered in blood, and she could feel her wings dislocated from the crash.

Natasha rested her back against the wrecked car with a grunt and tried to think of her next move. Despite the pain she was in, Natasha knew she had to do something before Stolas sent out a squad to check to make sure she was dead. He wasn’t stupid to not check without proof. 

“Fuck you...Stolas...fuck you...Stella...” Natasha spat as she thought about her accursed daughter with sinister thoughts. She had only discovered her daughter had escaped a mear half an hour before the attack, and it didn’t take long to figure out who it was behind it. Stella had always been weak, and so had Alexander. If only her precious Malpha hadn’t been taken from her by those damned Angels. 

Natasha tried to get up, but even breathing was becoming a pain. Just as it seemed all hope was lost, she saw a figure walking down the canyon. At first, Natasha feared that it was one of Stolas’ men but sighed in relief upon seeing her cloaked friend. She didn’t know who he was or what he looked like, but Demon Lord Belial trusted him, and she trusted him in return. 

The cloaked figure stopped in front of her and looked directly at her. _“You seem to have fallen into a nasty situation.”_

“No shit, ugh!” Natasha grunted as she felt her kidneys nearly explode from moving. “Help me...”

_“Your son is dead, as is everyone else in the house,”_ He pointed out, which made Natasha’s breath pause before she shook her head.

“It’s...no matter...I will...avenge him...”

_“No, I’m afraid your life ends here,”_ The cloaked figure said as he wrapped his arm around her throat. She gasped as she looked down and saw the arm was that of human flesh, but twisted, torn, and covered in black tattoos that looked to be ancient. Red pulsing veins ripped through his skin while pulsing with energy she never felt before. 

“Wh...gah...what is...this?!” She demanded, choking on her own blood. “We’re...allies...Gah!”

_“No,”_ He answered with amusement. _“You’re just a pawn. Expendable and worthless now. To be honest, I didn’t think we would get the book to begin with. The plan had so many flaws; it was laughable.”_

“Then...why?”

_“Because I needed to know_ **_who_ ** _had the book and how powerful he is. Now that I know for certain Prince Stolas has it, I have ways of getting it from him,”_ The Cloaked figure said with an amused tone. _“He’s good, but I am far older and stronger than him. Still, I do need to play this carefully. So I and my real allies will be taking our time, and we can use the Grimoire of the World to finally make Heaven, Hell, and Earth true utopias without the fear of God getting involved.”_

“W-what? I don’t...” 

_“Oh, don’t worry. I’m just rambling. Allow me to give you your death now,”_ The cloaked figure said as his eyes began to glow.

The twisted arm holding Natasha then began to pulse before she felt a pain unlike anything imaginable. She couldn’t even scream as she felt something flowing through her veins like poison combined with lava. Natasha had felt the power of Hell and Heaven before in her life, but this power was something else. It was like feeling a sense of agony and doom, but greater than anything Hell itself could create. 

This power and the pain behind it was ancient. Prime and raw with an undeniable feeling of death creeping down your shoulder. Hatred in its purest form. There was only one word to describe this horrible feeling: **_Cursed._ **

She looked down at her murder, and from the slightest glare of the moon above, Natasha could see _whose_ hand she was going to die from. Her mouth opened in silent horror as she recognized him by... **the mark.**

The cursed mark that was given so long ago to one being in existence. Cursed to forever be damned beyond salvation. Natasha felt her mind exploding from the knowledge of who it was that stood before her. This being who was supposed to have died so long ago, and yet was breathing before her anew.

Before she could speak his name, every vein in Natasha’s body exploded, leaving her a bloody husk of a body that was tossed into the desert sand. The cloaked figure wiped the blood off his fingers before opening up a portal to leave before the shadow guards arrived. 

It was time to begin the next phase of the plan.


	16. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blitzo is saved, but what of the aftermath? Stella faces her punishment.

There was a reason why Moxxie hated hospitals so much, and it was because of all the damn waiting. It wasn’t a surprise that a hospital in Hell was busy and overcrowded. After all, demons tried to kill each other every day for various reasons. However, instead of waiting for treatment, he was here waiting for the condition of his boss. It had been five hours now, and Moxxie was near ready to pass out from a lack of sleep. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off hours ago, and the only thing keeping him awake was fear. 

Millie and Loona had told the others just how bad it was for Blitzo, and Moxxie could only wonder what the _fuck_ his boss was made out of. Even a higher level demon would have been dead six times over by what he had done, but Blitzo had managed to survive it. Moxxie knew that even if Blitzo managed to come out of this alive, it would take months just to recover from all this. 

He hated to think of the ‘what if’ scenario, but there was still a chance that Blitzo could die. He didn’t want to think about it, mostly because if he did then, Moxxie wouldn’t be able to stop crying. It was funny. He never worried about his boss like this, but it showed just how much, deep down, he cared about that annoying jackass after everything that's happened. He just wondered how much of the old Blitzo was going to remain.

Nobody can go through an ordeal like this and not be screwed up by the trauma. He knew his boss was seeing a therapist, or at least he told them he was, but Moxxie wasn't an idiot. Blitzo had some kind of past issues he didn't like to talk about and hid behind a face of egotism and showmanship to avoid it. Chances are, it was now permanently broken, but regardless of what happened, Moxxie would be there for him. He didn't risk his life just so he could keep his job after all. Like it or not, Moxxie was part of his boss' family. He didn’t know how this would affect I.M.P. overall, but right now, the only thing he was worried about was Blitzo’s well being. The technical stuff regarding the company could be worried about later.

He glanced at his wife, sleeping on his shoulder while he caressed her hair. She had nearly passed out just as Moxxie, Stolas, and, to their surprise, Octavia arrived. She said something about needing to get out of the house where that _woman_ was, and nobody pressed further. Moxxie told his wife to sleep while he promised to wake her up when news of Blitzo was given. Loona was the only other one to have her eyes closed, sitting up in her chair, with Octavia holding her hand as Stolas paced back and forth.

Dawn was just beginning to break when the emergency doors finally opened, and the head doctor working on Blitzo arrived with his green surgery clothes covered in blood. “Blitzo’s family?”

Immediately, everyone got up, even the sleepyheads, as they all stared at the doctor while holding their breaths. Loona was the first to speak and ask the question they all wanted to be answered. “Is my dad going to be alright?”

The sigh made Moxxie panic at first but seeing the demon doctor nod his head made everyone release their breaths at once. “You guys got to him in time. Another two hours, and I don’t think we would be able to save him. I’ve never seen so much damage on an imp before. It's a miracle he survived. We’re still healing him, but he’s out of the danger zone. He’ll need weeks, maybe months of recovery both physically and psychologically.”

“Whatever is needed, I can pay for it,” Stolas said firmly.

“Is there anything we can do?” Millie asked, gripping Moxxie's arm.

“Right now, the best thing is for you all to get some rest,” The doctor said, crossing his arms. “You all look like you’re about to pass out. Don’t worry. We have him safe and sound here. He’s not going to wake up for a couple of days anyway, so you should all get some sleep and come back later.”

A loud yawn escaped Moxxie’s mouth as his eyes began to droop. The past few days had been crazy and had driven the imp assassin further to the brink then he ever had gone. A lovely soft bed seemed like a paradise for him. 

“I just want-” Loona said, but Octavia put a talon on her shoulder.

“Come on, Loona. Let’s both head back to my place and rest. We can check on your dad afterward,” Octavia encouraged. Loona looked hesitant at first but then slowly nodded in agreement.

“You four can go home. I need to talk to the head doctor for a moment,” Stolas said as he opened a portal back to the palace. “If you need anything, ask the servants.”

“What are you going to do about your bitch of a wife?” Millie asked, growling. Moxxie noticed Octavia turning away upon hearing Stella mentioned.

Stolas, to his credit, kept his cool and answered, “I’m going to deal with her after this. But you leave her to me.”

The others nodded before one by one heading back to the palace. 

***

Once he saw the other four were through his portal, Stolas quickly ended it and turned to the head doctor. “How bad?”

“I just said-”

“Doctor, he had a _Nightmare Parasite_ in his brain for hours. I know what those things are capable of,” Stolas said, firmly. “I have seen even the strongest of demons kill themselves shortly after getting it out of their minds. Even if they survive, the scars they feel are so damaging that they are changed forever. Now tell me the damn truth. How bad?!”

The doctor was quiet for a few minutes before shaking his head. “Bad. The first thing he did upon waking up was screaming bloody murder. He kept clawing his own body and breaking his skin to the point where he started bleeding all over the place. He nearly took out one of my nurses’ eyes until we sedated him. He kept shouting so many things so fast that it all sounded like gibberish. Something about being sorry, and I know I heard your name and what I assume are his daughter and employees based on the info you gave me. However, a few others, such as a Tilla, Barbie, Zella, and his father, I think, were mentioned."

Stolas bit his lip. "They are his real family. Tilla was his older sister, and Barbie was his twin. I know that much, but not much else other than they died a long time ago. Not sure who Zella is, though."

"Well, whoever she is, he must be important to her. The poor bastard looked like he was all but begging to be killed just to end the pain. The look in his eyes was like that of someone completely broken, and I don’t mean like someone who just arrived in Hell. Like that of a soul who just came back from death in the lowest levels and returned with that thousand-yard stare that they have," the doctor said.

Stolas did his best not to cry, but his soul was screaming in agony. He felt like he had failed Blitzo, even though he never saw this coming. The desire to hold his precious imp and care for him until he was sound of mind again was so strong that he almost ran into the emergency room to find Blitzo. 

“I’m sorry, Prince Stolas,” The doctor said, shaking his head. “Nightmare Parasites leave scars that last forever in mind and in the soul. No medicine or magic in Hell can help him.”

Stolas was about to say something when something clicked into his mind. One that, if known, would have everyone ask what the fuck he was thinking. Because there was a way that could save Blitzo’s sanity, but it would be downright dangerous to do so. It would be the most dangerous thing he would ever do in his entire life. To do it would require a great sacrifice on his part that wouldn’t just affect him, but Octavia, his servants, and maybe even Blitzo and his gang, depending on what happened. Yet, he feared what would become of the broken imp if he didn’t do it. How long until Blitzo, unable to take the nightmares and damage done to him, started abusing himself like so many others when they recover from the parasite? Or worse, end his own life just to embrace oblivion to escape from it all? 

There was only one form of healing that could help Blitzo return to the imp he was, but it would not be found here in Hell. Stolas closed his eyes. Such a decision should not be made so quickly. He needed to think about it more, go through all the options and consequences of doing this. He also needed to get Octavia’s permission to do this because her life would be at risk if this was found out. Reginald, Grimbeak, and the rest would follow him to the end no matter what, but if Octavia said no, then he wouldn’t do it. He loved Blitzo, but he loved his daughter more, and he wouldn’t risk her. Not even for him.

He would also need to give up something in exchange for this service, and Stolas knew there was only one thing he could surrender. But that was a problem for another day. Now he just wanted to go home and deal with the last person he wanted to see before taking a long rest.

Stella.

***

The moment Reginald arrived to let her know what happened, Stella had already lost the ability to cry tears for the fate of her mother and brother. She just silently nodded and let him leave without a single word. The owl demoness thought that she would be thinking about memories of her now-deceased family in those hours of silence, but all she could do was think about Octavia. 

Her daughter had disowned her. Even to the point where she called Stella by just her name and not by her proper title as "Mother." That had killed Stella more than anything. Deep down, she knew she shouldn’t have expected anything less, but to actually hear it was just too much. In a single night, because of one mistake, Stella had lost everyone she cared about. Her mother and brother were dead, and her husband and daughter wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

A part of her wanted to blame Blitzo. The imp that caused her to do this in the first place. Yet, Stella knew that she was only fooling herself. The only thing left was to wait for her soon to be ex-husband’s judgment on whether or not she would live. In some ways, Stella wished for death. She couldn’t imagine a life without her daughter or her husband. Even if they never loved each other, argued, and had their bad moments, she still cared for Stolas. Death would be merciful than having to live without him or Octavia in her life.

The doors opened, and Stella slowly lifted her head to see Stolas walk into his office. Stella wiped the tear marks from her face and stood up. She kept her head low but her eyes up as Stolas walked over towards her with an emotionless expression.

“I take it you know the news?” Stolas asked.

“Yes,” Stella said with a heavy sigh. “My family is dead, but is Blitzo okay?”

“He’ll live,” Stolas said but then growled. “But he’s forever damaged thanks to you and your family.”

“I know...” Stella whispered, closing her eyes. “I know you and Octavia will never forgive me. I think deep down, I’ll never forgive myself. I can say it so often, but please believe me when I say I’m sorry about this. I really am, Stolas.”

“Even if I do believe you, Stella, it's not enough,” Stolas said, shaking his head. “It still doesn’t change the fact that you hurt us. You hurt someone I cared greatly about. I admit that I may blame getting you to perform this action out of fear of our family’s safety on me, but you went too far, and lives were lost or damaged because of it. That is what I cannot forgive.”

Taking a deep breath, Stella closed her eyes. “If you’re going to kill me...please just make it quick...”

“...I’m not going to kill you,” Stolas said, which made Stella stare at him with wide eyes. He held up three fingers. “Three reasons. Despite being the one that caused this to happen, you gave us the location and information to save Blitzo. I am grateful for that. Second, it's going to look suspicious if you were to die so soon after your mother and brother died. As far as the world knows, you and I are divorcing out of an agreement that we no longer love each other and that your family died in a gas leak. It’s strange already as it is, and I will not be adding more suspicion to it. Finally, despite everything, you are Octavia’s mother. She is already feeling enough guilt, anger, and sorrow because of you. I will not have her also go through the emotional weight of losing her mother as well.”

He then leaned forward with his eyes glowing red. “But do not see my mercy as weakness. You are never allowed to step foot in my lands again. You will never see Octavia or me again. If she chooses to seek you out, I will not stop her, but considering her attitude about you, I doubt that will not happen for a very long time. If ever at all. You will live out your days at your family mansion with all your old servants replaced with ones loyal to me. They will watch your every move from the moment you wake up to the moment you shit. The moment they suspect you are doing something like this again or telling anyone about what happened, they will kill you. Or I will, personally.”

Sighing, Stolas turned his back to her and pointed to the door. “There is a car waiting to take you back to your family mansion. All your belongings will be sent to you later, as well as the divorce papers. Now get the **_fuck_ ** out of my house, Stella.”

Stella opened her mouth to say something, but she soon closed it and shook her head. There was nothing more to be said now. Slowly, Stella made her way out of her husband’s office and down the hall to where the front entrance was. 

Walking down the halls, she noticed that all paintings and photos that once contained her. Now they were gone or erased. Just as if she never existed here in the first place. The servants that once smiled or nodded to her just glared or shunned her as she passed by them.

When she got outside, a small car was waiting for her as well as Reginald holding the rear door. She took one last look at her former home and slowly turned her eyes towards the window where her daughter’s room was. Her heart clenched upon seeing Octavia staring down at her, but with utter hatred in her eyes. The pain felt so deep into Stella's soul that she nearly cried right then and there. Stella sighed upon seeing Octavia soon close her curtains, a final rejection from her precious child.

Turning to the car, she was about to get in when she paused and turned to Reginald. “Reginald, please just answer one last question from me. Is there any hope of redeeming myself in the eyes of my family?”

Reginald was quiet and just stared at her before asking, “Can you forgive yourself?”

“No,” Stella answered with a heavy sigh. “I cannot.”

“Then until you do, you will never have that answer,” Reginald said.

Stella nodded as she slowly entered the car and let the door close behind her before finally leaving her home behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, but the next one is the last one for this story. There will be a sequel to this and other fics to follow. Yup, this is a series. Surprise :)


	17. The Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blitzo finally is awake as everyone comes together for him.
> 
> Note: Since Stolas' wife name has been officially named as "Stella", I have gone back and changed the name I gave her "Selena" to this name as I said I would when we finally got her name.

Loona could remember the year she had Kennel Cough as one of the worst years of her life. She almost died if it wasn’t for the fact that her father took care of her by never leaving her side. Now, years later, here she was staring at his peaceful expression while he was hooked up to so many wires and IV’s that he looked like a pincushion. Judas General Hospital was giving him the best treatment possible. They had fixed most of his wounds save for some that were still taking their time to heal and gave him some magical stuff to get his demonic regeneration ability on overdrive. His horns were back to their healthy self and his tail regrown after getting the proper nutrients. Blitzo still had scars all over his body, but knowing her dad, he would say it made him look sexier. 

“Heh, you’re probably going to try to advertise it for the company, I bet,” Loona said to his sleeping as she leaned in closer. It had been two weeks since they had rescued him, and he still hadn’t woken up. According to the doctor, it was a combination of their own medical drugs to help his body heal faster and his mind forcing it so he could recover from the trauma he suffered. 

Her father would occasionally twitch or mutter something in his sleep. Names such as her own or strangers she never met before. The one most talked about was someone named ‘Zella,’ who didn’t ring any bells in Loona’s mind.

“What are you dreaming about, Dad?” Loona wondered as she touched his arm. “I just wish I could comfort you like you comforted me.”

If it was her in that bed, Blitzo would be singing her lullabies and telling stories to her. He’d put his favorite horse plushies in her arms for her to hold while praying she would be okay and healthy. He did that every time she was sick. Despite being an adult, he treated her like a child. But deep down, Loona knew he did it because he cared about her. 

Sadly for Blitzo, Loona couldn't sing if her life depended on it, but she did manage to get some of his favorite horse plushies to help him cuddle with. It was challenging to bring them from Imp City to St. Judas City, where the hospital was since the two cities were hours apart. Yet if her father went the extra mile for her, Loona would do the same for him.

It was only now, looking at her injured and weak father, that Loona realized just how much she had taken it all for granted. Blitzo could have let her die off in the woods, but instead, he took her in and raised her as his own. He showed her love, care, and affection with no other goal than to give her the best as a family should. When she learned what her pack did to her, she changed that day. Distrusting all and showing an attitude that stemmed from her anger and heartbreak, directing it at the world that hated her and even aimed it at the one person she shouldn’t have aimed it at. 

Watching her father day by day for the past two weeks had given Loona a lot of time to reflect on the past few years. Years when she had been an utter bitch to everyone, including her father. And for what? Because some assholes that never raised her called her weak and pathetic without even knowing her? She’d taken worse insults from bullies in the fourth grade, for crying out loud!

“I promise, Dad,” Loona whispered as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I promise I’ll be a better daughter. Just...just please wake up...”

Be it by luck or miracle, Loona soon heard a voice cry out her name in a weak and scared tone.

“Loony?”

***

For two weeks, Moxxie had taken the reins as temporary head of I.M.P. and, if he was allowed to gloat, he was proud of his time as temporary boss of the company. They were actually making a profit and were going after targets that really deserved it instead of whoever was unfortunate enough to end up as a hit. Still, Moxxie was ready to give it up the moment Blitzo finally woke up and returned from his semi-coma. Much as Moxxie liked being a boss, Blitzo seemed to lighten the place up and made work actually enjoyable instead of just a borefest. Honestly, he was starting to even miss the times Blitzo would just randomly play music and declare a dance hour for everyone. 

Moxxie watched as the portal to the human world opened up, and out came Millie and Grimbeak, who Stolas allowed to work as a temporary employee, with their blades decorated bright red and a sack over their shoulders each. “Wow, who knew you could drain so much blood from a human and keep them alive for hours?” Millie said in amazement.

“It’s one of the perks you learn with years of experience,” Grimbeak said with a smirk. “I must say, this may be a temporary position, but I’ve had more fun and exercise than I have in the past twenty years under Prince Stolas.”

“Careful saying that, or our boss might try to steal you away,” Millie joked before walking over to her husband. “That Yakuza Boss and his minions are dead, Hon. Hopefully, that Oni Demon will be pleased.”

“He promised additional payment for every head of his enemy’s gang we brought him,” Moxxie pointed out. “Did you-” His response was a bunch of decapitated Japanese heads dropped from the sacks and onto the floor in a bloody mess. 

“We had more, but we ran out of room,” Millie said with a smile.

“I think this will be more than enough for a large bonus,” Moxxie said, sighing as he quickly sent an email to let the client know the hit had been successful. “I think we can close up early and head to the hospital to check on Loona and Blitzo. It's a long drive, after all.”

“I better go and report to Prince Stolas. Farewell for now,” Grimbeak said before disappearing like a shadow.

“One of these days, I gotta ask him how to do that,” Millie wondered as she started picking up the heads.

Moxxie smirked before the phone started ringing, and he answered it. “Immediate Murder Professionals. Moxxie speaking.”

_ “Moxxie! It’s Loona! Dad’s awake!” _

***

Stolas calmly poured his tea into his guest's cup while doing his best to remain as stoic as possible. After all, it wasn’t every day that Lucifer himself greeted you and asked to come over for tea. The Emperor-King of Hell drank the jasmine with a loud sip before biting into one of his many apples. How the former favorite angel of God had so many was a mystery for the ages, but it was the least worrisome question on Stolas’ mind right now.

“I must say, Stolas,” Lucifer said as he chewed on his fruit before taking a bit more tea. “A gas leak was really the best you could come up with?”

“I was short on time. Besides, it was better than saying a small army of guards broke in and committed multiple degrees of murder to save your lover,” Stolas admitted with a heavy sigh. There was no point in lying to the Morning Star when he outright stated he knew what you had done and why. In all honesty, he should have expected this. Lucifer wasn’t the Emperor-King for nothing and kept as many tabs as possible on his most powerful subjects. Especially when many of those said would like to dethrone him personally. 

“Yes, luckily most either suspect but didn’t have enough proof or didn’t care when the news hit,” Lucifer said with his usual big toothy smile. “Honestly, the clues were all there, but most of our fellow higher-ups don’t pay attention to what goes on in Imp City. When rumors of the city’s most established assassination company’s boss goes missing for eleven days, followed by the deaths of two Goetia demons related to you, by a  _ gas leak  _ no less, as well as the divorce of your wife? Combine all that with the fact that said assassin boss is currently in one of Hell’s best hospitals with your money providing the service? Not hard to put most of it together, really.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Stolas asked, gripping his teacup. Already he had Reginald prepare Octavia for escape along with the means to get Blitzo and his family out of Hell and into one of his safe houses in the human world. He could hold off Lucifer for maybe an hour or two at best, which should be enough time.

“Nothing.”

Stolas nearly popped his eyes out. “Nothing?”

“Did I stutter? I’m going to do nothing,” Lucifer answered with a smirk. “Honestly, Stolas, you didn’t think I knew that I.M.P was using the  _ Grimoire of Worlds  _ to teleport to the human world to make their kills? The only thing I’m upset about is that I didn’t think of the idea myself. There were plenty of humans I would have liked to have eliminated over the years that ruined my plans for corrupting mankind. Of course, anything of a higher power than an imp would surely get Heaven’s attention, but I suppose even the weakest of us have our advantages.” His grin then faded, and his eyes narrowed. “Besides, if what you told me about what Natasha and her kin were trying to do, then I suppose killing them was the best option.”

“Only, we didn’t kill Natasha,” Stolas grumbled. “Someone else did.”

And in a very bloody manner too. By the time Stolas' shadow guards found her, she had been given one of the worst deaths he had ever seen. Every vein in her body exploded, and her heart was turned dark black with her blood smoking with pus. The autopsy showed that some kind of foul magic had taken her life energy, turned into living entropy, and used it to explore her from the inside. Stolas had never felt such a sinister power before in his entire life, but needless to say, it worried him.

“Ah yes, perhaps it was this mysterious cloaked figure your ex-wife spoke about,” Lucifer suggested before taking another sip of tea. “Much as I am forced to allow the Executions by Heaven, I am not a monster. Genocide of my subjects, even the lower ones, is something I will not let happen. So consider me your ally in finding this individual as well.”

“...I see,” Stolas whispered as he set his teacup down. “So what’s the catch?”

“The catch, my dear Stolas, is that should I need someone eliminated, I wish the I.M.P. to use their services to me,” Lucifer whispered with a small golden glow in his demonic eyes. 

“You want them to eliminate humans for you too?” Stolas asked, eyebrows raised.

“No, I want them to eliminate demons,” Lucifer said with a small smirk. “Of course, I want them to eliminate humans for me. I have none that I need to be killed at the moment, but should I require them in the future, I wish to use them. Imps are so underpowered that they can get by heaven’s gaze without alerting the angels of demonic presence on earth. Yet it seems that the training your lover and his friends have put themselves through has made them more powerful than they appear. I actually find myself interested in this Blitzo, and not in that way before you start getting your jealous feathers ruffled. I can think of a few advantages to using such a group for my own purposes.”

Lucifer then finished his tea before standing up with a smirk. “Well, I best be going. I do hope your boyfriend does come around soon. I’d hate seeing my friends depressed.” Summoning his hat to his hand, the Morning Star nodded his head. “Farewell.”

Stolas bowed to his King and watched as his guards escorted him out of the room. He waited until he felt the King of Hell leave the premises of his palace before sighing in relief and landing on his chair with a heavy thud. “Damnit, I’m bloody fucking lucky.”

That was an understatement. Lucifer had been more amused than anything about all that happened instead of angry. If there was one thing Stolas could say about the fallen angel, he had a weird sense of humor. Rubbing his forehead, Stolas wondered if the Emperor-King knew of his plan to possibly cure Blitzo of the future struggles he would face thanks to the  _ Nightmare Parasite.  _

No, if he had known about that idea, Stolas would be dead for sure. 

“At least Blitzo will be happy knowing that the King himself wishes to use his services one day,” Stolas grumbled before getting up. 

Suddenly, Reginald burst into the room and shouted, “Sir! Blitzo’s awake and-”

Reginald didn’t get a chance to finish as Stolas quickly summoned his cloak and was already out via portal. 

***

It had been two weeks since Stella had been kicked out of her house and banned from returning under penalty of death. One week since her mother and brother's funeral that she attended along with a few of her mother’s associates. Five days since she got the official notice that she was single again.

Putting another scoop of double brownie chunk ice cream in her mouth, Stella felt her tears continue to drop while her heart ached with pain. Never in her life had she felt so lonely then now. The servants barely spoke to her, and she could feel their judging eyes on her whenever she entered a new room. Stolas had been right about them following her. She didn’t even have privacy in her old childhood home save for the bathroom and bedroom. Even then, she was sure they were watching her somehow.

Some of her old friends tried to contact her, a few nobles tried asking her out now that she was single again, but she turned them away. Stella didn’t want them or their false friendships. She just wanted her husband and daughter back. Stella didn’t care anymore if Stolas and Blizo were in love; the divorced owl would accept him no matter what if it meant having her life back. A part of Stella wondered if she should go to the hospital and apologize to him when he finally woke up, but she turned that thought away. None of those she hurt would ever allow her to see them. They’d kill her first.

She thought back to what Reginald had told her. That she needed to find her own redemption to herself before she attempted to redeem herself in the eyes of those she lost. The problem was Stella didn’t know how to do that.

Looking at the TV, she watched as her soap opera ended and turned to a commercial. There she saw another advertisement for that Hazbin Hotel establishment that Lucifer’s daughter was doing to help get Demons into Heaven. She was going to change the channel, but paused when the lyrics of the commercial. It rang in her head like a church bell as a thought came to her head.

Stella knew that she couldn't fix her problems without changing who she was and what she believed in. Yet, was it possible that she could have a second chance if she tried it at the hotel? It was open to everyone, but then again, what would everyone think if she went there for help. Still, Charlie was a kind soul from the few times Stella got to know her. The problem was the other demon that was living there... _ Alastor _ .

Every feather on Stella's body shivered upon thinking about the Radio Demon. That... _ thing  _ was an enigma that the likes of which not even the highest of Hell's circle could figure out. He had taken out so many terrible and long-lived demons in such a short time that rumors were around he wasn't a demon at all, but something else. 

Still, was it worth it just to have a second chance? When the commercial ended, Stella looked at the TV and then at her ice cream. For a long time, she thought about what Charlie had said on the TV and wondered for nearly an hour in silence before her mind was made up.

Stella got up with a deep sigh and walked over to the phone nearby before dialing the correct number. She waited for someone to pick up until she heard someone pick up.  _ “...I said I have it, Toots! Calm your tits! Ugh, seriously, is a certain one-eyed bitch having that time of the month? Anyway, Hazbin Hotel. What’s up?” _

For a moment, Stella hesitated before she answered, “My name is Lady Stella, and I wish to book a room at Hazbin Hotel.”

_ “Really? For what?” _

Closing her eyes, she whispered one word.

“Redemption.”

***

Moxxie and Millie were about to rush out for the van when Stolas arrived to take them to the hospital via a portal. The three had hurried towards the room Blitzo was staying in before opening the door. Millie felt herself nearly cry tears of joy upon seeing her boss, eyes open, looking at them with a small smile. “Hey, gang. How are things?”

_ “Oh, Blitzy!” _ Stolas cried as he rushed over to the imp and hugged him. The prince was shedding tears on his shoulder while apologizing over and over again. “I'm so sorry for what my wife and her family put you through! I promise I'll make it up! I’m just so glad you’re awake now!”

“Yeah, Boss,” Moxxie said, smiling as he walked up to the bed with Millie by his side. “You really scared us for sure this time. Letting yourself get kidnapped and all...”

“Yeah, sorry about that...” Blitzo muttered, turning away. Millie raised an eyebrow and turned to her husband, who was a bit confused as well. She had been expecting some kind of sarcastic response or two, but maybe her boss was still recovering. 

Loona, smiling, patted her Dad on the back. “Hey, it's okay. What matters is that you’re back, Dad.”

“...yeah,” Blitzo whispered with a sad smile. There was a tone of despair in his voice, which was starting to ring some warning bells in Millie’s head. She didn’t appear to be the only one as the rest of the group began looking at each other in awkward silence. Meanwhile, Blitzo just sat there as still as can be while looking almost...dead-eyed.

Millie, starting to get a sense of something not right, decided to say, “You know, Boss. Moxxie here has been taking a pretty good liking to your spot as temporary head of the company. Why, if you don’t recover fast enough, he might just steal it from you.”

“Well, Moxxie has always been better at that kind of stuff. Hell, he's smarter than me,” Blitzo admitted with a shrug. Millie could practically hear her husband’s jaw drop. “Maybe he should be running it instead? I always just screw things up.”

“Okay, time out!” Moxxie said, holding his hands up in the air. “Sir, what is wrong with you? You don’t act like this?”

“Y-yeah is everything okay, Blitzo?” Millie asked nervously.

For a long time, Blitzo just stared at his hands without out saying anything. Then, out of nowhere, a harsh laugh escaped from his throat. “No...I’m alive.”

“W-well, yes but-”

“No, Millie,” Blitzo grumbled as his eyes began to mist. “I’m _alive._ That’s the problem! **_I SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE!”_**

Blitzo smashed his fist into the wall with a scream of frustration and sorrow as he threw all the wires and IV’s off him before burying his head into his hands. The four watched in utter stunned silence as Blitzo, of all imps, started bawling into his hands like a baby. Millie had never seen her boss do this, but here he was, crying his eyes out and looking so weak and pathetic that her mind couldn’t process that this was really Blitzo.

“B-Blitzo...” Moxxie stuttered, trying to step forward and touch his boss, but Blitzo just pushed him away.

_ “Get away from me! All of you just get away!”  _ Blitzo screamed as he fell to the floor and crawled to the nearest corner. He huddled himself into a ball and continued to sob. “Leave me...you just leave me...it’s better for you all...”

“But...sir...I...you...” Moxxie tried to say something, but words failed him. Even Millie couldn’t find the right things to say as she saw what was happening before her. She turned to Loona and Stolas only to find them heartbroken by what was going on as well.

_ “I’m a monster!” _ Blitzo shouted, shaking his head. “I’m nothing but a fraud! A loser who just keeps ruining everyone's life because of his selfish actions! None of you should be around me! J _ ust leave me alone! _ ”

“Sir, you can’t mean that!” Millie shouted. “Y-you’re more than just a boss, Blitzo! You’re our friend!”

“R-Really?” Blitzo asked with a harsh laugh before glaring at Millie. “What kind of a friend constantly hurts his employees and treats them like shit? I hired you two and did nothing but mistreat you with every turn!”

“Sir, I admit that you have faults as a boss, but really-” Moxxie stated, but he was then interrupted by Blitzo.

“Faults?! I’m a selfish sex-craved maniac who always makes a fool of himself like some jester looking for an audience! And even when I have people around me, I make their lives miserable! Look at how I’ve treated you, Moxxie!” Blitzo shouted as he pointed to the stunned imp. “Every day, since we met, I have made your life a living hell! I’ve treated you like shit! Putting you down and mocking you and your wife! All while I force you to work for me, dragging you two along with my stupid shenanigans, because I know that the two of you would be out on the street without this job!” 

“S-sir,” Moxxie tried to say something, but Blitzo cut him off.

“Don’t you dare say otherwise, Moxxie! Because you’re right about me! I’m a sad immature imp who can’t accept the fact that I’m jealous that you two have what I never had! _What I lost because of my own actions!_ ” Blitzo screamed so loud it nearly echoed across the hall. “And a great boss, huh? How many times have I nearly ruined our company because of my decisions and mistakes?! Times we almost died or nearly filed for bankruptcy because I don’t know shit about business! Not to mention all the killing we’ve done on innocent people!” He started clawing at his own ears. “I can still hear them...the women, the children, all those who did nothing wrong but become a target for someone in Hell! I ended their lives, and they scream at me: Why?! _Why did I do it?!_ **_BECAUSE OF FUCKING MONEY!”_**

He took a deep breath and slowly lowered his head. Millie felt tears run down her eyes as she turned towards Moxxie, who was turning around to hide his own. Millie hated to admit it, but there was some truth to her boss’s words. But it wasn’t as bad as this...was it?

“Blitzy, please,” Stolas whispered, stepping forward, trying to kneel before him. “I...I know that you are going through a lot and the Nightmare Parasite did some...terrible things to you. But you don’t need to put yourself down like this. You’re important to us. Important to me.”

“...Stolas. Stop.”

The owl prince blinked as Blitzo looked up at him with lifeless eyes. “Stop trying to make me fall for you. Better yet, stop trying to fall for me. It’s not going to end well. Everyone I have ever loved or has ever loved me always suffers because of it. This entire incident was my fault. If I didn’t grab that stupid book, none of this would have happened. None of you would have been at risk. Your wife would still be married to you. We all would have been better off if I never started that stupid company or met any of you.”

“Blitzy, you can’t mean that,” Stolas said, holding his talons to his chest with a soft smile. “Ever since I met you, my life has been happy. You’ve shown me things I never dreamed of and helped me know feelings I’ve never felt before. I...I care a great deal about you, Blitzo.”

“...do you know what happened to the last person I cared about like you, Stolas?” Blitzo muttered before looking him in the eye. The four of them saw something break inside the imp before them as his voice tethered into a sense of despair that spoke of nothing but pain and regret. “She died. She  _ died _ because of me. It’s the same thing  _ every _ time. I get close to people, and they _ die. _ I try to make something better, and I _ fail _ . I even once had the greatest thing going for me, and I ruined it! You want to know why?!  _ Because I’m a curse! Killing people is all I’ve ever done since I was born! I killed my mother with my birth! My father and my sisters all died because I was weak! And Zella! _ **_ZELLA! I KILLED MY OWN WIFE!”_ **

“W-wife?” Stolas asked with wide eyes. “Y-You’re married?”

Millie and Moxxie also gasped upon hearing this. They turned to Loona only to see her just as shocked. Stolas looked almost heartbroken upon hearing this and Millie couldn't blame him. Up to now, she assumed that Blitzo had never really been serious in a relationship until he started this thing with the prince. But hearing Blitzo speak about this...'wife' of his made Millie wonder who in the nine circles of Hell married her boss? And why hadn't he mentioned her until now?

They all knew his family died, even if the details were sketchy, but he still held memorabilia of them in his office. Mostly old posters advertising his family's activities in the circus. But not once had Millie ever seen anything hinting that Blitzo was married in the past. Not even a ring around his finger. 

“Married?” Blitzo muttered before sobbing into his arms. “I was once married to someone who I thought was a real angel...and then I lost her...I lost everything...I killed her...just like I killed my family...if you don’t leave me alone, you’ll die too. I don’t know how or why, but you’ll die! Moxxie and Millie too! And Loona...Loona...”

He slowly turned to his daughter, who just stood there staring at him. Slowly she walked forward until she was inches away from Blitzo, who gave her a sad smile before turning away in shame.

“...I’m sorry I was never a good fath-”

**_SLAP!_ **

Loona’s blow echoed across the room as everyone just stared at her. Blitzo stopped his crying as he touched the cheek that his daughter slapped him on. Growling, Loona slowly picked up Blitzo and held him in her paws while glaring down at him. 

“Dad, I’m going to say this just once to you. So you better  **_fucking_ ** listen well,” Loona said, softly and yet with such anger in that low tone that it drove a chill down everyone’s spine. “Every day, hour, and a minute since we first met all those years ago, I have always thought of you as my father. You saved me from dying after my real family left me to die because they deemed me weak. You gave me a home, food, and education while treasuring me not as a pet or a toy like some would, but as a genuine part of your family. Not once, in all these years, have I ever stopped appreciating everything you did nor ever once consider you anything but my dad. A terrible father? No, you are now, and always will be, my  _ only  _ father.”

“L-Loona...”

“I’m not saying you’re perfect. Fuck, I haven’t been daughter of the year myself, but for all the shit we go through, we’ve always stuck together,” Loona whispered, holding her father’s damaged hands. “You were the one who was there for me when I nearly died of sickness. You never once stopped helping me learn or protecting me when I needed it. You worked day and night just to make our lives as livable as possible. Maybe it wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. So you’ve done bad things, we all have. This is  _ fucking  _ Hell, for Christ’s sake! All of us have done terrible things or screwed up!”

“But I’ve...you don’t know...what I’ve done and...” Blitzo muttered, trying to say something, but Loona put a finger to his lips.

“I don’t care what you did in the past. I care about what you did for me,” Loona said firmly. “You are the most important person in my life, Dad. Nobody else comes close. And you are important to everyone here.” She turned to Moxxie and Millie. “Moxxie has come through and proved himself to lead us into finding a way to save you. He didn’t abandon you or even leave you for dead. His first and only priority was for us to work together to save you. He even took a bullet in our efforts and nearly died. Millie has been supporting us all the way. She and I have spilled blood just to free you from those assholes. We risked our lives to save you. Does that sound like people who hate you?”

“Loona’s right, Blitzo,” Moxxie said, stepping forward with a small smile. “Look, I know that I’ve yelled and complained about you, but deep down, I know you're a good person. If I felt you were beyond saving, I wouldn’t have gone so far to see you rescued. You’ve always helped Millie and me when we needed it, even if your methods were... _ eccentric _ , but you’ve shown more kindness than most have ever done for us.”

“You’re more than a boss to use, Blitzo,” Millie whispered, smiling. “You’re one of our best friends. We’re all a bit fucked up and come from pasts that we’re not proud of, but you’ve kept us together even through the tough times. Joining the company has been one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life, and it’s because of it, I got to meet Moxxie, Loona, and you.”

“You guys...” Blitzo whimpered as he wiped his eyes.

“And Stolas? His royal bird ass is the whole reason we were able to save you in the first place,” Loona smirked as she pointed to the blushing prince. “That guy did everything to find you. He spared no expense or manpower to try and save you. He didn’t do it just because he likes you fucking his ass. He did it because he cares about you just like we do. The guy even killed his bastard of in-laws for hurting you. The reason you're even healed right now in one of the most expensive hospitals in Hell is because of him. The guy doesn’t see you like some piece of ass, Blitzo. He really does like you.”

“I do,” Stolas whispered, smiling. “Blitzo, I know our relationship wasn’t off to a great start, but I’ve come to care for you almost as much as my daughter in the years we’ve known each other. Spending time with you makes me so happy and alive that I can’t bear the thought of losing you. I know that your mind tells you not to believe us. I know what the Parasite does, but trust your heart, Blitzy. Trust that we do care about you.”

“But...but...”

“Dad,” Loona said, interrupting him. “We didn’t go through all this for nothing. We did it because we fucking love you.”

“...why?” Blitzo asked, as his lips trembled as he looked up at Loona with confused and teary eyes. “Why after...after everything I’ve done...why?”

Slowly, Loona wrapped her arms around her father and let him rest on her chest. Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Because we’re family. And you don’t give up on family.”

At that moment, Blitzo wailed and collapsed into his daughter’s arms. He just continued to cry as she continued to hold him, the two never letting go. Soon enough, Stolas walked over and wrapped his arms around the two, followed by Moxxie and Millie shortly after. 

The four of them agreed silently in their hearts that they would do everything in their power to help Blitzo as he held them as tight as he could.

They had saved him. Now they had to heal him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this story to the end. I hope the final chapter was good, it was one of the most nervous ones I had while writing it. Yes, Zella is a made up character for this story to help explore Blitzo's painful past. Yes it is different then what was hinted at in Episode 2, but I wrote this story long before that was made so this is officially a Canon Derailment fic. 
> 
> This isn't, however, the end of the story. Just the beginning. For in the next story, "Healing Blitzo" you will see:  
> -Blitzo coming to terms with his past, including more about his mistakes in life  
> -Millie and Moxxie finding a surprise of their own in the future  
> -Loona meeting someone who helps her change into a better person  
> -Stolas playing a dangerous game to save his beloved Blitzy  
> -Stella going to Hazbin Hotel where we meet that cast of characters  
> -Octavia coming to terms with her mother's actions  
> -The mysterious cloaked figure planning his next move with his real allies  
> -And we see Angels appear in this story for the first time.
> 
> When will this come out? Sometime next year, I don't know when. Maybe April? Until then you might see me post a few one shots here and there or maybe a second major story depending on what I see from future episodes. 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this fic. Please Like, Fave/Kudos, comment, and share this story online. Thanks!


	18. Update on Healing Blitzo

Hey guys, just thought I'd give you a heads up on when the sequel, _Healing Blitzo,_ is going to come out. I've already started writing chapters for it in my spare time while still working on my other fics. First chapter is already completed and I'm planning on making a few more ahead of time. 

The date of the Sequel's first chapter is going to be on _**April 17th**. _ I hope to have to _Turn Back Time_ finished by, but don't worry about _Imp on Fire_ and _Princess_ , those are going to still be going on.

I am also debating getting a Twitter account to keep you guys informed of stuff that way as well. I personally do not like social media for a lot of reasons, but I guess I can maybe get one for you guys to connect and talk with me on stuff. If I do, I'll let you know in a future update of one of my fics if I get one.

That's all. Just thought I'd give you the official date and all.


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